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Perfluoroalkyl substances in tissues and feathers of Belgian barn owls using methods for leftcensored data to handle non-detects
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Veerle L. B. Jaspers1*, Dorte Herzke2, Igor Eulaers1, Brenda W. Gillespie3, Marcel Eens1
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NILU, FRAM – High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, H. Johansens gt. 14, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
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Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070, USA
* Corresponding author. Tel: +32-3 265 22 85, Fax: +32-3 265 22 71, E-mail contact:
[email protected]
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ABSTRACT ART
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ABSTRACT
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Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were investigated in tail feathers and soft tissues (liver, muscle, preen gland, adipose tissue) of barn owl (Tyto alba) road-kill victims (n=15) in the province of Antwerp (Belgium), which houses a major PFAS producing facility. We aimed to investigate for the first time the main sources of PFASs in feathers of a terrestrial bird species, using methods for leftcensored data to cope with levels below the limit of detection (LOD), instead of traditional, potentially biased, substitution methods. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected in all tissues (range: 11 ng/g in muscle – 1208 ng/g in preen oil) and in tail feathers (< 2.2 – 56.6 ng/g). Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was measured at high levels in feathers (< 14 - 670 ng/g), but not in tissues (more than 50% < LOD). Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) could only be quantified in liver and preen oil, while other PFASs were sporadically detected in liver. PFOS levels in feathers and liver were highly correlated (r=0.78, p
