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- Title
INFLUENCE OF CONTAMINATION BY ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS ON THE BREEDING OF THE SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLE (AQUILA ADALBERTI).
- Authors
Hernández, Mauro; González, Luis M.; Oria, Javier; Sánchez, Roberto; Arroyo, Beatriz
- Abstract
We evaluated temporal and regional trends of organochlorine (OC) pesticide (including polychlorinated biphenyl [PCB]) levels in eggs of the Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti) collected in Spain between 1972 and 2003. Levels of p,p'- dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and PCBs varied significantly (p = 0.022) among regions (central, western, and Doñana), being higher in Doñana than in the central and western populations (DDE: 1.64 ± 5.56, 0.816 ± 1.70, and 1.1 ± 2.66 μg/g, respectively; PCBs: 1.189 ± 5.0, 0.517 ± 1.55, and 0.578 ± 1.75 μg/g, respectively). Levels of DDE decreased with time, but a significant interaction was observed between region and time. In Doñana, egg volume and breadth as well as Ratcliffe Index were significantly lower after DDT use (p = 0.0018) than during the pre-DDT period (p = 0.0018); eggs were significantly smaller overall than in the other two regions (p = 0.04) and were smaller when DDE levels increased, even when controlling for regional differences (p = 0.04). Productivity in Doñana was significantly lower than in the other regions (p < 0.001). Clutch size in Doñana varied according to DDE concentrations (p = 0.01), with the highest DDE concentrations found in clutches consisting of one egg. When considering eggs with DDE levels greater than 3.5 μg/g, a significant effect of DDE on fertility was found (p = 0.03). Clutches with DDE levels greater than 4.0 μg/g had a higher probability of hatching failure (p = 0.07) and produced fewer fledglings (p = 0.03). If we consider 3.5 μg/g as the lowest-observable-adverse-effect level, the proportion of sampled clutches that exceeded that level in Doñana (29%) was significantly higher than in other regions (p < 0.001). These eggs showed a mean percentage of thinning of 16.72%. Contamination by OCs, mainly DDE, could explain, at least in part, the low productivity of the Spanish Imperial Eagles in Doñana.
- Subjects
ORGANOCHLORINE compounds; PESTICIDES; PESTICIDES &; wildlife; PESTICIDE toxicology; POLYCHLORINATED biphenyls; EAGLES; AQUILA (Genus)
- Publication
Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, 2008, Vol 27, Issue 2, p433
- ISSN
0730-7268
- Publication type
Article