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Health effects from contaminant exposure in Baltic Sea birds and marine mammals: A review

Sonne C 1 , Siebert U 2 , Gonnsen K 3 , Desforges JP 4 , Eulaers I 5 , Persson S 6 Show all authors , Roos A 7 , Bäcklin BM 8 , Kauhala K 9 , Tange Olsen M 10 , Harding KC 11 , Treu G 12 , Galatius A 13 , Andersen-Ranberg E 14 , Gross S 15 , Lakemeyer J 16 , Lehnert K 17 , Lam SS 18 , Peng W 19 , Dietz R 20

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 2 Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 3 Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 4 Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 5 Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 6 Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Frescativägen 40, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 7 Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Frescativägen 40, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 8 Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Frescativägen 40, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 9 Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke. Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4 A, FI-20520 Turku, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 10 Evolutionary Genomics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 11 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 25 SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 12 German Environment Agency, Section Chemicals, Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 13 Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 14 Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health, Dyrlægevej 16, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 15 Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 16 Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 17 Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 18 Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China; Pyrolysis Technology Research Group, Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (Akuatrop) & Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (Bio-D Tropika), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, MY-21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 19 Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China
  • 20 Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected]
Environ Int, 2020 06;139:105725.
PMID: 32311628 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105725

Abstract

Here we review contaminant exposure and related health effects in six selected Baltic key species. Sentinel species included are common eider, white-tailed eagle, harbour porpoise, harbour seal, ringed seal and grey seal. The review represents the first attempt of summarizing available information and baseline data for these biomonitoring key species exposed to industrial hazardous substances focusing on anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs). There was only limited information available for white-tailed eagles and common eider while extensive information exist on POP exposure and health effects in the four marine mammal species. Here we report organ-tissue endpoints (pathologies) and multiple biomarkers used to evaluate health and exposure of key species to POPs, respectively, over the past several decades during which episodes of significant population declines have been reported. Our review shows that POP exposure affects the reproductive system and survival through immune suppression and endocrine disruption, which have led to population-level effects on seals and white-tailed eagles in the Baltic. It is notable that many legacy contaminants, which have been banned for decades, still appear to affect Baltic wildlife. With respect to common eiders, changes in food composition, quality and contaminant exposure seem to have population effects which need to be investigated further, especially during the incubation period where the birds fast. Since new industrial contaminants continuously leak into the environment, we recommend continued monitoring of them in sentinel species in the Baltic, identifying possible effects linked to climate change, and modelling of population level effects of contaminants and climate change.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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