American Oystercatcher with GPS tracker. L Wood 2024
Accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in coastal birds and food webs in South Carolina
PFAS are anthropogenic pollutants that are highly persistent and ubiquitous in human and natural environments. PFAS are released into the environment via a number of pathways, including use and disposal of consumer products, manufacturing activities, and application of fire-fighting foam, particularly at sites used by the Department of Defense. The complex composition of fire-fighting foam limits understanding of its environmental fate and potential bioaccumulation impacts.
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In coastal South Carolina, Joint Base Charleston is a known location of PFAS contamination in soil, surface water, and groundwater on or surrounding the base. The base is adjacent to the Ashley River and it is unclear if PFAS migrate into downstream estuarine and marine habitats. Multiple taxa within Charleston Harbor, including both prey and predator species, have been documented to contain elevated concentrations of PFOS and recent work from our group identified high levels of PFOS and other PFAS in the eggs of Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) from the region.
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Research:
2017-2020: We showed that eggs from Brown Pelicans nesting in coastal South Carolina contained relatively elevated concentrations of poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances regardless of proximity to likely point sources in Charleston Harbor. GPS tracking of adults from the same colonies further suggested that variations in urban habitat use for foraging adults during the breeding season were also not reflected in egg contaminant concentrations.
2024: We investigated the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of a wide range of PFAS in coastal birds that rely on environments and food webs downstream from Joint Base Charleston. We conducted a field sampling campaign at multiple trophic levels, paired with biologging efforts focusing on American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) and Brown Pelicans. These species possess unique life history and foraging preferences, and therefore reflect unique but intertwined food webs across the estuarine continuum representative of the Charleston, SC region.
Collaborators
Patrick Jodice, USGS South Carolina Cooperative Research Unit / Clemson University
Juliet Lamb, The Nature Conservancy, New York
Rainer Lohman, University of Rhode Island
Amber Litterer, South Carolina Cooperative Research Unit / Clemson University
Rachel Adams, University of Rhode Island
​Felicia Sanders, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
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Graduate students
Bradley Wilkinson (PhD)
Publications
Wilkinson B.P., A.R. Robuck, R. Lohmann, H.M. Pickard, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2021. Urban proximity while breeding is not a predictor of perfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the eggs of brown pelicans. Science of The Total Environment. DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150110
Data: Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in the Eggs of Brown Pelicans from Charleston, SC, 2017-2020. PFAS concentrations in Brown Pelican eggs; GPS tracking data for breeding Brown Pelicans, 2019.