"Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins, Dibenzofurans, and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Livers of Birds from Japan" 

Kurunthachalam Senthilkumar¹, Naomasa Iseki¹, Shigeki Masunaga¹, Shinichi Hayama², Junko Nakanishi³

¹Yokohama National University
²Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University
³National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol.42 pp.244-255 (2002)

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Abstract

Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and non- and mono-ortho-chlorine-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (dioxin-like PCBs) were measured in livers of 17 species of birds collected from Japan. Birds were grouped according to their feeding habits as granivores, piscivores, omnivores, and predators for discussions. Livers of granivores contained relatively low concentrations of PCDD/DFs (80-660 pg/g) followed in increasing order by omnivores (2,300-8,000 pg/g), piscivores (61-12,000 pg/g) and predators (480-490,000 pg/g on a fat weight basis). 

Especially, one species of predatory bird (mountain hawk eagle) contained elevated concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs, and the measured concentration is one of the highest reported to date. Homolog and congener patterns of PCDDs and PCDFs varied among species; hence, the results suggested that feeding habits, specific elimination, and metabolism influence contamination pattern. Concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs were in the order of granivores (32-83 ng/g) < predators [excluding mountain hawk eagle] (32-2,500 ng/g) < piscivore (61-12,000 ng/g) < omnivores (1,800-67,000 ng/g on a fat weight basis). 

Mountain hawk eagle contained the highest concentration of dioxin-like PCBs (55,000 ng/g fat weight). 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxic equivalents (TEQs) ranged from 53-450,000 pg/g fat weight. 23478-PeCDF, 2378-TCDD/TCDF, and PCB congeners IUPAC 126 and 77 were major contributors to TEQs in birds. To our knowledge, this is the first study of PCDD/DFs and dioxin-like PCBs in livers of several species of Japanese birds. 

Keywords

PCDD, PCDF, PCB, japanese bird