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Whole blood concentrations of organochlorines as a dose metric for studies of the glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)

In order to examine if whole blood concentrations of organochlorines (OCs) is anappropriate dosimetric parameter for use in ecotoxicological studies of free‐living birds, a number of incubating glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) were repeatedly sampled within and between subsequent breeding seasons. The wet weight concentrations of selected OCs, differing in persistence and fat solubility, were compared and it was assessed to what extent present concentrations could be predicted from concentrations previously measured in the individuals. There were only a few significant differences in the blood concentrations of the selected OCs within and between seasons. The most persistent compound, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)‐153, showed a low interindividual variability, and between seasons, 70% of the variance could be explained by the level in the previous year, while changes in body condition and blood lipid percentage were of less importance. For PCB‐101, the predictability of the present blood concentration from the previous concentration was lower than for PCB‐153, and changes in body condition and blood lipid percentage explained a higher proportion of the variance. The present level of α‐hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) could not be predicted from the previous level. Sex did not explain any significant proportion of the variance in OC concentrations when previous level and changes in body mass and blood lipid were included in the statistical models. Thus, for the most persistent OCs, concentration in the blood of incubating glaucous gulls is representative for the interindividual differences over time and whole blood concentrations of OCs appear adequate as a dose metric in ecotoxicological studies.