Temporal trends in perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) wereinvestigated in liver samples from two seabird species, thick-billed murres (
Uria lomvia) and northern fulmars (
Fulmarisglacialis), from Prince Leopold Island in the CanadianArctic. Thick-billed murre samples were from 1975, 1993,and 2004, whereas northern fulmars were from 1975, 1987,1993, and 2003. Between 8 and 10 individuals wereanalyzed per year. Analytes included C
7-C
15 perfluorinatedcarboxylates (PFCAs) and their suspected precursors,the 8:2 & 10:2 fluorotelomer saturated and unsaturatedcarboxylates (FTCAs, FTUCAs), C
6, C
8 (perfluorooctanesulfonate, PFOS), C
10 sulfonates, and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA). Liver samples were homogenized,liquid-liquid extracted with methyl tert-butyl ether, cleaned-up using hexafluoropropanol, and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Overall, concentrations in seabirds were lower thanthose in other marine animals that occupy similar or highertrophic positions. In contrast to most other wildlifesamples, PFC profiles were dominated by the PFCAswhich comprised 81% and 93% of total PFC profiles in the2004 thick-billed murre and 2003 northern fulmar samples,respectively. As well, the PFCA profiles were mainly comprisedof the C
11-C
15 PFCAs, which appears to be uniqueamong other wildlife species. PFC concentrations werefound to increase significantly from 1975 to 2003/2004. Doublingtimes in thick-billed murres ranged from 2.3 yrs forperfluoropentadecanoate (PFPA) to 9.9 yrs for perfluorododecanoate (PFDoA), and from 2.5 yrs for PFPA to 11.7 yrsfor perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) in northern fulmars. PFCAconcentration increases in thick-billed murres were significantfor both time periods (1975
1993, 1993
2004), but innorthern fulmars appeared to remain steady after 1993.Differences in the temporal trends observed may be theresult of differing migratory patterns of the seabirds. Finally,the detection of the 8:2 and 10:2 FTUCAs in seabirds issuggestive of fluorotelomer alcohols as a source of somePFCAs.
