Can changes in climate and in flame retardant exposure over time alter the levels of the stress hormone corticosterone in white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla)?

The ban on the use of PBDEs in Europe has resulted in the increased use of alternate flame retardants (FRs),such as HBCD, TBBPA, BTBPE and organophosphorus FRs. In this project, temporal trends of both regulatedand emerging FRs will be investigated, making use of a feather collection of white tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) since 1969. Furthermore, we aim to study interactions between climate variations and temporal trends of FRs on the stress hormone concentrations in feathers of the white-tailed eagles. Measuring pollutants and stress hormones simultaneously in feathers of individual birds is a novel approach that will allow understanding of how environmental variability may contribute to variation in stress response.

Keywords:FLAME RETARDANTS, CORTICOSTERONE, TEMPORAL TREND, CLIMATIC CHANGES

Disciplines:Sustainable chemistry, Animal biology, Aquatic sciences, challenges and pollution, Environmental science and management