We examined the influence of biological and geographical factors on the levels and patterns of organohalogen contaminants in blood of adult common loons (Gavia immer) collected from 20 lakes in Alberta, Canada. The loons were captured in the 2006 and 2007 breeding seasons over a 900 m elevation gradient across the eastern slope of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. While PCBs dominated the composition of these contaminants in loons at all sites (∑PCBs > p,p'-DDE > ∑PBDEs > ∑Chlordanes > HCB), p,p'-DDE and ∑PBDEs were also important, averaging approximately 50% and 20% of total PCB concentrations, respectively. ∑PCBs and ∑PBDEs were higher in males than in females. Inter-lake variation was apparent for contaminant concentrations and patterns and were largely explained by dietary signatures (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) and proximity to a large hydroelectric dam. Mean ∑PCB (19.6 ng/g wet weight (ww)) and OCP (p,p'-DDE: 11.8 ng/g, cis-nonachlor: 0.10 ng/g, trans-nonachlor: 0.32 ng/g, HCB: 0.34 ng/g ww) concentrations in loons were approximately 4- to 17-fold lower than average concentrations reported in common loons from Atlantic Canada and were well below concentrations which have been associated with impaired reproductive success and eggshell thinning in other piscivorous birds. Dominant PBDE congeners were BDE47, BDE99, and BDE100. The regional mean for ∑PBDEs (4.04 ng/g) in loons from the present study was within the range reported for ∑PBDEs in nestling bald eagle plasma from British Columbia. This is the first report of PBDEs in loons and the first report of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in common loons from Western North America.

我们检查了生物学和地理因素对从加拿大艾伯塔省的20个湖泊收集的成年普通懒人（Gavia immer）血液中有机卤素污染物的水平和模式的影响。这些懒人是在2006年和2007年繁殖季节在加拿大落基山脉东坡900 m高程上捕获的。多氯联苯在所有地点的月球中均占这些污染物的组成（∑PCBs> p， p'-DDE> ∑PBDEs> ∑氯丹酮> HCB），p，p'-DDE和∑PBDEs也很重要，分别平均占PCB总浓度的50％和20％。男性的∑PCBs和∑PBDEs高于女性。间湖变异为污染物浓度和图案显而易见并通过膳食签名在很大程度上解释（δ ¹⁵ N和δ ¹³ C）和接近一个大的水电站。平均∑PCB（湿重（ww）的19.6 ng / g）和OCP（p， p'-DDE：11.8 ng / g，顺式-无氯：0.10 ng / g，反式-壬草胺：0.32 ng / g，六氯代苯：0.34 ng / g ww）的浓度约比加拿大大西洋地区普通懒猴报告的平均浓度低4至17倍，且远低于与生殖能力受损相关的浓度成功和其他食肉性鸟类的蛋壳变薄。PBDE的主要同源物是BDE47，BDE99和BDE100。来自本研究的月球中∑PBDEs（4.04 ng / g）的区域平均值在不列颠哥伦比亚省的雏鸟秃鹰血浆中∑PBDEs的报道范围内。这是来自北美西部地区的第一份关于多溴联苯醚的报告，也是关于第一份多氯联苯和有机氯农药的报道。