Dynamics of organochlorine compounds in herring gulls (Larus argentatus): II. A two‐compartment model and data for ten compounds

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Abstract
A two‐compartment open model using plasma and seasonally variable lipid compartments was developed and validated for several organochlorines in herring gulls (Larus argentatus). Plasma clearance rate constants (k′pc, L·kg−1·d−1), plasma: whole‐body lipid partition coefficients (Kpf) and compartment sizes for lipid and plasma were obtained for juvenile gulls injected i.p. with a mixture of p,p′‐DDD, p,p′‐DDE, hexachlorobenzene, oxychlordane, γ‐hexachlorocyclohexane, trans‐chlordane, octachlorostyrene, dieldrin, mirex and photomirex. Concentrations in plasma were determined at 11 time points during the 239‐d study, and whole‐body contaminant burdens and lipid weights were determined at 3 time points. Mean Kpf for p,p′‐DDD and p,p′‐DDE (0.0038 ± 0.0002) was different from that of the other organochlorines (0.0058 ± 0.0005, n = 7). The latter values were close to the expected fraction lipid in plasma, indicating a simple thermodynamic partitioning between lipid pools in adipose tissue and plasma. Plasma clearance rate constants ranged from approximately 0.04 L·kg−1·d−1 for slowly clearing organochlorines such as p,p′‐DDE and mirex to 500 L·kg−1·d−1 for rapidly clearing γ‐hexachlorocyclohexane and trans‐chlordane. Simulations using these parameters and lipid weight regimes for individual experimental birds tracked observed plasma concentrations and final body burdens closely. Simulated whole‐body half‐lives of organochlorines in wild adult gulls were similar to those published for other species.

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