Peregrine Falcon (credit: Mike Baird)
The flame retardant Dechlorane Plus has been found again in European wildlife. The eggs of peregrine falcons in Spain were found to be contaminated with the chemical. A study of failed eggs in Spain and Canada revealed the presence of the chlorinated halogens in the apex predator.
Dechlorane Plus in the environment.
Studies into the environmental impacts of flame retardants are still in the early stages so it’s not known how the contamination will impact on the species. But finding the presence of the chemical in the eggs is a concern. Dechlorane Plus (DP) is a derivative of Dechlorane which was used as a pesticide and banned in the 1970′s.
DP is used in a wide range of products such as textiles and electronics to help prevent the spread of fire. It is just one of a family of chlorinated halogens used for this purpose. Much like other chemicals they are able to bio-accumulate and bio-concentrate as they move up the food chain. A study by the Hites Laboratory of Indiana University estimated that there is 20 tons of DP in the sediments of Lake Ontario – which may be related to the closeness to one of the main manufacturers in New York state.
The study looking at peregrine eggs in Canada and Spain was undertaken by a team from the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC, Spain), the Institute of Organic Chemistry (CSIC, Spain), and Environment Canada.
Dechlorane Plus in bird eggs.
The team studied a total of 25 eggs – 13 from Spain and 12 from Canada. The eggs came from both inland regions and coastal areas. The eggs with the greatest concentrations of DP came from those found in the coastal regions. This is thought to be because the main prey of the falcons would be other birds that live on fish. Aquatic organisms are more likely to be contaminated than terrestrial organisms.
The researchers chose peregrine falcons as a species to study because they are at the top of the food chain and will highlight any contamination of the local ecosystem. They were also chosen because peregrines have previously suffered at the hands of organo-chlorines in the form of pesticides during the 1960′s and 1970′s.
The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology as “Dechlorane Plus and Related Compounds in Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Eggs from Canada and Spain”. and was authored by Paula Guerra, Kim Fernie, Begoña Jiménez, Grazina Pacepavicius, Li Shen, Eric Reiner, Ethel Eljarrat, Damià Barceló and Mehran Alaee.
This study further confirms the finding of a previous bird eggs study by Muñoz-Arnanz J, Sáez M, Pacepavicius G, Alaee M and Jiménez B who looked at white crane eggs at Donana National Park at regions around Madrid. This study found that white stork eggs around the populated Madrid regions were 4 times more contaminated than eggs from the Donana National Park.
Widespread contamination of DP.
Studies on DP are jut beginning but the first signs are not promising. A research project by scientist of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Institute of Coastal Research discovered the presence of DP in every one of 20 air samples they took while on a research cruises in the Atlantic Ocean. The chemical was present from the Arctic down to the Arctic. Highest concentrations were found close to Greenland.
The concentration of DP in the environment is likely to increase in the coming years as it is now the replacement used by many companies for decaBDE. This flame retardant has been banned by the European Union and many American manufacturers have agreed to phase it out.
There are two main sources of DP entry into the environment in western Europe. The first are manufacturers of goods (Europe do not manufacture DP itself) that use DP and the second are consumers who throw away items after the goods useful life has ended. Because the flame retardants are not chemically bonded to the product they are free to enter the environment.
