---
title: "Organic and plastic pollution in Manx Shearwaters"
---

# Organic and plastic pollution in Manx Shearwaters

*![Manx flowers Chris Perrins](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Manx/Manx_flowers_Chris_Perrins.jpg)  
A Manx Shearwater among flowers on Skomer, photograph by Chris Perrins*

 Patricia Serafini ([Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Contaminação Aquática e Imunoquímica](https://labcai.paginas.ufsc.br/), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil) and colleagues have published in the *[Marine Pollution Bulletin](https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/marine-pollution-bulletin)*on organic pollutants and plastic ingestion with [Manx Shearwaters](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/manx-shearwater-puffinus-puffinus) *Puffinus puffinus*.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “Anthropogenic pollution poses a threat to marine conservation by causing chronic toxic effects. Seabirds have contact throughout their lives with pollutants like plastic, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and [organochlorine pesticides](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/organochlorine-pesticides) such as [hexachlorocyclohexanes](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/hexachlorocyclohexane) (HCHs).  We assessed 155 Manx shearwaters (*Puffinus puffinus*) stranded along the Brazilian coast, analyzing associations between organic pollutants, plastic [ingestion](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/ingestion), biomarkers (transcript levels of [aryl hydrocarbon receptor](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/aromatic-hydrocarbon-receptor), *cytochrome P450-1A-5* [[CYP1A5](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/cytochrome-p450)], *UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase* [*UGT1*], [estrogen receptor](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/estrogen-receptor)*alpha-1* [*ESR1*], and *heat shock protein-70* genes) and [enzymes activity](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/enzyme-activity) (ethoxy-resorufin O-deethylase and [glutathione](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/glutathione) *S*-transferase [GST]).  Plastic debris was found in 29 % of the birds. The transcription of *UGT1* and *CYP1A5* was significantly associated with [hexachlorobenzene](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/hexachlorobenzene) (HCB) and PCBs levels.  *ESR1* was associated with HCB and [Mirex](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/mirex), and GST was associated with Drins and [Mirex](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/mirex).  While organic pollutants affected shearwaters more than plastic [ingestion](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/ingestion), reducing plastic availability remains relevant as [xenobiotics](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/xenobiotic-agent) are also potentially adsorbed onto plastics.”

 **Reference:**

 Patricia P. Serafini, Bárbara P.H. Righetti, Ralph E.T. Vanstreels, Leandro Bugoni, Clei E. Piazza, Daína Lima, Jacó J. Mattos, Cristiane K.M. Kolesnikovas, Alice Pereira, Marcelo Maraschin, Isadora Piccinin, Tim Guilford, Luciana Gallo, Marcela M. Uhart, Rafael A. Lourenço, Afonso C.D. Bainy & Karim H. Lüchmann, 2024.  Biochemical and molecular biomarkers and their association with anthropogenic chemicals in wintering Manx shearwaters (*Puffinus puffinus*).  *[Marine Pollution Bulletin](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116398)*[203. 116398](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116398).

 *29 October 2024*