Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in feather and muscle of the birds of prey from Beijing, China

Abstract Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the feather and muscle of common kestrels ( Falco tinnunculus ), eagle owls ( Bubo bubo ) and little owls ( Athene noctua ) collected from Beijing, China were investigated. The concentrations of ∑ 23 PBDEs in the muscle and feather of all the birds of prey ranged from 46 to 7.77 × 10 4 ng/g lipid weight (lw; median 241 ng/g lw) and 1.50–191 ng/g dry weight (dw; median 21.1 ng/g dw), respectively. Higher brominated congeners, e.g., BDE-209, -153, -207 and -196 were the dominant congeners in both feather and muscle. However, the concentrations of lower brominated congeners in feather were significantly correlated with those in muscle ( p  10 in common kestrel and little owl suggested that the high levels of PBDEs posed potentially high risk to some birds of prey living in Beijing area.