Effects of migration and reproduction on the variation in persistent organic pollutant levels in Kentish Plovers from Cangzhou Wetland, China

Abstract Migratory Birds have been considered biovectors of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from sources to remote areas. In the present study, Kentish Plovers ( Charadrius alexandrines ) were collected in different periods, including immigration, breeding and emigration, to investigate the effects of migration and reproduction on POP variations in this bird species. Significant differences were found for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) concentrations in muscles between the immigration and emigration periods ( p p