Global survey of seabirds chemically-impacted by marine plastics throught the analysis of preen gland oil

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H01768
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental dynamic analysis
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Takada Hideshige 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (70187970)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 綿貫 豊 北海道大学, 水産科学研究院, 教授 (40192819) ; 内田 圭一 東京海洋大学, 学術研究院, 准教授 (50313391) ; 水川 薫子 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 助教 (50636868)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 海洋プラスチック汚染 / 添加剤 / 生物影響 / 海鳥 / 尾腺ワックス / 紫外線吸収剤 / イアトロスキャン / 飼育実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Feeding experiment was conducted. UV absorbers and brominated flame retardant (BDE209) were industrially compounded into polyethylene pellet and fed to chicks of streaked shearwater. After 16 days from the feeding, significant amounts of the additives were detected in liver, abdominal adipose, and preen gland oil in the chicks of exposure group, while no additives were detected in control group where no plastics were fed. This clearly demonstrated the transfer and accumulation of the benzotriazole UV-absorbers and BDE209. Novel approach to accurately measure ultra-trace weight of preen gland oil by using TLC with FID was developed. Additives were measured in preen gland oil from 44 species of seabirds globally collected. Among 208 seabirds examined, 95 contained any of the additives (BDE209, DBDPE, phthalates, UV absorbers). The results suggest that 20 % - 50 % of world seabirds are chemically impacted by marine plastics.

Free Research Field

環境汚染化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は野生生物が摂食したプラスチックから添加剤が生物に吸収され蓄積することを、実環境の条件で実験的に明らかにした世界初めての研究成果である。さらにプラスチックからの添加剤の移行・蓄積が野外の鳥で広く起こっていることを明らかにしたことの意義は大きい。残留性有機汚染物質の分析結果も踏まえて、ハイリスク種を特定し、今後生物影響を優先して調べるべき種や海域を特定したことも意義深い。また、FID付きTLCによる微量脂質の重量測定法の開発は、広い分野で応用可能な拡張性の高い開発である。