Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in two different populations of northern cardinals
By Marie Russell, Seth Newton, Katherine McClure, Rebecca Levine, Lara Phelps, Andrew Lindstrom, and Mark Stynar
Chemosphere.
May 1, 2019
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.01.112
The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a good indicator species for environmental contaminants because it does not migrate and its range covers a diversity of habitats, including metropolitan Atlanta, GA and the geographically isolated Hawaiian Islands. In addition, the cardinal is often found near people's homes, making it likely to be exposed to the same outdoor elements, including soil, groundwater, and air, that surrounding humans experience. In this study, blood serum concentrations of 12 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were measured in 40 cardinals from Atlanta and 17 cardinals from the Big Island (Hawaii), HI. We observed significantly higher median concentrations of four PFASs and significantly higher detection frequencies of seven PFASs in the cardinals from Atlanta, relative to the PFAS median concentrations and detection frequencies observed in the cardinals from Hawaii (α = 0.05). Among the PFASs measured, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was observed in the highest concentrations. A linear regression model controlling for sex, age, and airport distance did not explain PFOS variation within the Atlanta samples, but a similar model explained 90% of PFOS variation within the Hawaii samples. To our knowledge, these are the first measurements of PFASs in northern cardinals.
• PFASs were more frequent and abundant in Atlanta serum than in Hawaii serum.
• PFOS concentrations ranged from 2.9 to 180 ng/mL in Atlanta cardinals.
• Hawaiian male cardinals had higher PFOS concentrations than Hawaiian females.
• Hawaii samples taken farther from the nearest major airport had lower PFOS levels.
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