US EPA

2178998 

Journal Article 

Redistribution of DDE in sparrowhawks during starvation 

Bogan, JA; Newton, I 

1977 

Yes 

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
ISSN: 0007-4861
EISSN: 1432-0800 

PESTAB/77/2601 

18 

3 

317-321 

English 

907852 

PESTAB. The distribution of DDE in the tissues of 18 sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) found dead throughout Great Britain was determined using electron capture gas chromatography. The birds ranged in condition from healthy to starved. Two eggs laid the day before death by one bird were also analyzed, and the dieldrin and PCB concentrations were measured in four birds. The percentage of DDE in the brain increased slowly with decreasing body lipid, but was markedly higher in birds with less than 1.5% fat. The percentage increase in brain DDE with starvation was greater than the percentage increases in liver and breast muscle DDE with starvation. The brain lipid content decreased less during starvation than did the liver or breast muscle lipid contents. Although the liver and muscle DDE concentrations did not accurately reflect the brain DDE concentration, muscle or liver concentrations calculated on a lipid weight basis reflected the brain concentration more accurately than did muscle or liver concentrations calculated on a wet weight basis. The brain concentration of DDE calculated on a lipid weight basis was consistently lower than the liver or muscle concentrations calculated on the same basis. The concentration of DDE in the body lipid of one bird (39.7 mug/g) corresponded well to the DDE concentration in the lipid of her eggs (mean 38.0 mug/g). Thus, the DDE concentrations in egg residues appear to reflect the DDE concentration in the parent bird.