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Does marine litter ingestion represent an underestimated pressure on Yelkouan shearwaters? Insights from GIT marine-litter and tissue PAE analyses in the core breeding range.
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Researchers examined 31 stranded Yelkouan shearwaters, a seabird species, from Italy's Tyrrhenian coast, finding plastic in the digestive tracts of 90% of birds, mostly tiny fragments. Chemical testing found phthalate compounds in body tissues, highest in the uropygial gland, but no link was found between ingested plastic amounts and tissue phthalate levels.
Marine plastic pollution is a recognised source of physical and chemical hazard for seabirds, however integrated evidence from the Mediterranean Sea remains limited. This study assessed the impact of marine litter on the Yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) by combining gastrointestinal tract (GIT) analysis of litter occurrence and characteristics with targeted quantification of 11 phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in kidney, liver, muscle, and uropygium from 31 stranded individuals collected along the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy. Marine litter was detected in 28 out of 31 individuals (90.3%), with 569 items isolated, all confirmed as plastic by FTIR spectroscopy, corresponding to a total mass of 685.8 mg. The mean value recorded was 20.3 ± 23.6 items and 24.49 ± 37.61 mg per bird, which exceeds available threshold values for shearwaters. Microplastics were the dominant portion (77.9%) and were mostly found in the gizzard (94.9%), mainly as fragments and films composed of polyethylene and polypropylene. Of the 11 target PAEs, five (DEP, DIBP, DBP, DEHP, and DNOP) were detected above the limit of detection, with DBP quantified in all samples. ΣPAE concentration differed significantly among tissues and were highest in the uropygial gland, with distinct tissue-specific profiles. No correlation was observed between ingested litter and phthalate concentrations in tissue. The relative contributions of ingested plastic, diet, and environmental sources could not be established. The results of our study, obtained through a multidisciplinary approach, are of particular concern, as they indicate an additional stressor for this endemic mediterranean species, already impacted by multiple anthropogenic pressures such as bycatch, light pollution and alien predators. This is especially relevant in the Tyrrhenian Sea, which represents the core of the breeding range and hosts more than 50% of the global Yelkouan shearwater population. The crucial conservation value of the region underscores the importance of long-term monitoring of litter ingestion and associated chemical contaminants.
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