Perfluorooctane sulfonate in fish-eating water birds including bald eagles and albatrosses

Environmental Science & Technology
By: , and 

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Abstract

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was measured in 161 samples of liver, kidney, blood, or egg yolk from 21 species of fish-eating water birds collected in the United States including albatrosses from Sand Island, Midway Atoll, in the central North Pacific Ocean. Concentrations of PFOS in the blood plasma of bald eagles collected from the midwestern United States ranged from 13 to 2220 ng/mL (mean: 330 ng/mL), except one sample that did not contain quantifiable concentrations of PFOS. Concentrations of PFOS were greater in blood plasma than in whole blood. Among 82 livers from various species of birds from inland or coastal U.S. locations, Brandt's cormorant from San Diego, CA, contained the greatest concentration of PFOS (1780 ng/g, wet wt). PFOS was also found in the sera of albatrosses from the central North Pacific Ocean at concentrations ranging from 3 to 34 ng/mL. Occurrence of PFOS in birds from remote marine locations suggests widespread distribution of PFOS and related fluorochemicals in the environment.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Perfluorooctane sulfonate in fish-eating water birds including bald eagles and albatrosses
Series title Environmental Science & Technology
DOI 10.1021/es001935i
Volume 35
Issue 15
Year Published 2001
Language English
Publisher ACS Publications
Contributing office(s) National Wildlife Health Center
Description 6 p.
First page 3065
Last page 3070
Country United States
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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