Pyrethroid insecticides in wild bird eggs from a world heritage listed park: a case study in Doñana National Park (Spain)

Recent studies demonstrated that the common pyrethroid insecticides are present in aquatic biota tissues. In this study, 123 samples of unhatched eggs of 16 wild bird species collected from 2010 to 2012 in Doñana National and Natural Park were analysed to determine 13 pyrethroids. This study represents the first time that pyrethroids are detected in tissues of terrestrial biota, 93% of these samples being positive to those pollutants. Levels of total pyrethroids ranged from not detected to 324 ng g lw. The samples were characterized by stable isotope analysis. Species with diets based on anthropogenic food showed higher levels of pyrethroids and lower values of δN. Finally, we characterized the isomers of pyrethroids and discerned some isomeric- and enantiomeric-specific accumulations. In particular, tetramethrin and cyhalothrin showed an enantiomeric-selective accumulation of one enantiomer, highlighting the need to assess toxicological effects of each enantiomer separately to be able to make a correct risk assessment of pyrethroids in birds.

This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs through the project IMPAR (Ref. 106/2010). This work has also been partly funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Group “2014 SGR 418—Water and Soil Quality Unit”). Sampling of raptor eggs was funded by excellence project RNM-7307 of the Junta de Andalucía and CGL2011-28103 and CGL2015- 69445-P of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The authors also want to thank Renaud de Stephanis from the EBD-CSIC for the financial support with the stable isotope analysis.