By Cliff White 

Staff Writer

The Gorham-based Biodiversity Research Institute discovered toxic contaminants in every egg tested in a statewide study of Maine birds last summer.

More than 100 separate harmful contaminants were found in 60 eggs of 23 species of birds tested, report author and senior research biologist Wing Goodale said. Birds in southern coastal Maine tended to have the highest pollution levels, however, high levels of contaminants were found in all corners of the state and in every habitat – as far west as the Rangeley Lakes, as far north as Spaulding and as far east as Eastport, as well as hundreds of miles offshore.

The study is the first to paint such a broad picture of the range and levels of pollutants in Maine’ avian population, Goodale said. Goodale presented the results to the Maine Legislature Committee on Natural Resources on Tuesday.

“It shows that these chemicals, some of which have been used for more than 50 years, are building up in these animals to an alarming rate,” Goodale said.

Contaminants are absorbed by birds through what they eat and are passed from mother birds into the eggs they lay, according to the study. Individual pollutants found in the eggs included flame retardants (PBDEs), industrial stain and water repellants (PFCs), transformer coolants (PCBs), pesticides (OCs) and mercury. 

Biodiversity Research Institute Executive Director David Evers said the study was a wake up call to those who believe Maine is a pristine reserve for wildlife.

“The study reveals the health of the avian population is at far greater risk than we realized.  For a state with a lot of its nature intact, it’s a warning sign that human impact is greater and wider-reaching than some believe,” Evers said.

Bald eagles were found to have the highest levels of contamination, with the peregrine falcon, the great black-backed gull, the belted kingfisher and the piping plover in the top five most polluted species.

The chemicals found are known to cause harmful affects on brain function, ability to raise young, hormone levels, organ function, development of a fetus and the birds’ ability to fight disease. The contaminants do not create any obvious, immediate damage to birds, Goodale said, but rather weaken them over time.

“We’re not seeing any birds in the wild just keeling over dead,” Goodale said. “But what is possible is that these species are struggling for survival, and dealing with a number of other threats to them, and the contaminants add an extra burden. These compounds could be that extra factor that makes them survive when conditions become harder – they might not be able to take care of their young, or survive a storm, for example.”

Moreover, laboratory studies have found that contaminants interact to cause even greater impairment.

“We have some idea of the effect these chemicals have individually in harming the birds, but we really don’t know what their effect is when combined,” Goodale said.

The pollutants are coming from both global and local sources, according to the report. The pervasiveness of the chemicals indicates they are most likely arriving in Maine carried by rain and snow. 

“It’s a combination, and Maine definitely contributes some to the overall problem,” Goodale said. “But we have to remember that prevailing winds bring pollutants from the rest of the country to us. I suggest these toxins would be found not only in Maine, but all over the East Coast, and for that matter in every state in the U.S.”

Barry Mower, a contamination specialist with the Department of Environmental Protection, said Maine was ahead of the curve in crafting legislation designed to combat the release of toxic chemicals which could be harmful to birds and other wildlife. He pointed the Legislature’s ban of deca, a flame retardant used in mattresses, furniture, television and other goods which has been found to be harmful to both animals and humans.

Legislation banning some chemicals appears to be working effectively at removing the substances from the wild, according to the study. Rates of banned contaminants had decreased compared to results of previous studies, Goodale said.

“The good news for Maine’s birds is that, since PCBs are no longer used, their levels have decreased sevenfold among common eiders and herring gulls. It shows when pollutants are no longer used, their effect diminishes over time.”

The phenomenon is evidence of nature’s ability to repair itself, Evers said.

“People say, ‘What can we really do? These substances are going to be out there forever,’” Evers said. “But the study shows evidence that nature is very resilient – that when we stop the flow of chemicals into the environment, it can begin to heal itself.”