The present study investigated the use of feathers as a useful non-destructive biomonitoring tool for novel organic pollutants in black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), and evaluated the interaction of both novel and legacy pollutants on body condition and thyroid hormones. In July and August 2014, feather and blood samples were collected from 20 black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at two colonies (Blomstrandhalvøya and Krykkjefjellet) in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Samples were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and phosphorous flame retardants (PFRs).
All compound classes were detected and quantified in feathers ranging from