This experiment is part of the Seabirds Challenge Grant. Browse more projects

What chemical pollutants are in the plastics ingested by Kelp Gulls?

$110
Raised of $1,944 Goal
6%
Ended on 8/19/16
Campaign Ended
  • $110
    pledged
  • 6%
    funded
  • Finished
    on 8/19/16

Methods

Summary

During the project we developed in Uruguay we could secure several diet samples in 2011-2013 and in 2015 that are still being analyzed for plastic fragments. Thus, organic pollutants on these plastic samples will be analyzed in the Laboratory of Biomarkers and Stable Isotopes of the Astrobiology Centre (CSIC-INTA) of Spain.

We will analyze heavily used man-made industrial chemicals (PCBs, DDTs, HCHs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs), which have natural and anthropogenic origins. Both "families" of pollutants have direct implications with negative health effects in animals and humans.

Persistent organic pollutants will be extracted from plastic samples with organic solvents (dichloromethane and hexane). Afterwards, a short clean-up step to remove other interfering/impurities, and then analyzed/identified using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Protocols

This project has not yet shared any protocols.