Affiliation:
1. Alaska SeaLife Center Seward Alaska USA
2. National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Ion Cyclotron Resonance Facility Florida State University Tallahassee Florida USA
3. Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
4. Department of Chemistry, Chemical Analysis & Mass Spectrometry Facility University of New Orleans New Orleans Louisiana USA
5. Department of Chemistry University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
Abstract
AbstractOil spills are devastating to seabirds, causing high levels of mortality and toxic physiological effects, especially to immune function. Sunlight exposure can further enhance the toxicity of oil to marine species by generating photodegradation products. Photo‐enhanced oil toxicity to marine birds has not been studied. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to investigate the toxicity and photo‐enhanced toxicity of oil to lymphocyte proliferation, macrophage phagocytosis, and reactive oxygen species production in three alcid species, common murres (Uria aalge), tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), and horned puffins (Fratercula corniculata). Intrinsic factors (species, age, and sex) had a more significant effect on lymphocyte proliferation than exposure to oil or photoactivated oil. Macrophage phagocytosis was significantly reduced in oil and photoactivated oil treatments, whereas hydrogen peroxide production was significantly increased. Interestingly, nonphotoactivated oil stimulated significantly more hydrogen peroxide than photoactivated oil. The results suggest that alcid immune function could be variably influenced during an oil spill depending on the species, sex, and age of the bird as well as the season and level of sunlight exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2701–2711. © 2023 SETAC
Subject
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis,Environmental Chemistry