Modeling PCB tranfer into hen eggs: Influence of physiological characteristics of the animal

Agnès Fournier (1) , Olivier Martin (2) , A. Travel (3) , Laurence Puillet (2) , Cyril Feidt (1) , Catherine Jondreville (1)

1 URAFPA - Unité de Recherches Animal et Fonctionnalités des Produits Animaux
2 MoSAR - Modélisation Systémique Appliquée aux Ruminants
3 ITAVI

Laying hens are likely to be exposed to a wide range of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). To improve the safety of poultry farming systems in terms of POPs, the present research focused on assessing the impact of physiological characteristics of the hen on the transfer of ingested PCBs to eggs. Modeling was used as a research tool to explore the impact of some physiological characteristics on the transfer of PCBs in the laying hen. The mathematical model simulates the dynamics of the size of the lipid compartments in the animal and the frequency of laying, with the PCB concentrations in egg yolk and adipose tissue being model outputs. Simulations were run to assess effects of animal characteristics on the transfer of PCBs to eggs. Laying rate proportionally influenced the PCB level of eggs and adipose tissue at steady state. Body fat diluted absorbed PCBs in the absence of laying and significantly influenced the decontamination rate of tissues during depuration after an exposure period. Application of the present model to actual exposure cases highlights its value in improving the support of risk management in livestock farming. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:173-183. (c) 2014 SETAC

Mots clés: Poultry; Model; Persistent organic pollutants; Kinetics; Molt

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Agnès Fournier, Olivier Martin, A. Travel, Laurence Puillet, Cyril Feidt, et al.. Modeling PCB tranfer into hen eggs: Influence of physiological characteristics of the animal. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2015, 34 (1), pp.173-183. ⟨10.1002/etc.2781⟩. ⟨hal-01173677⟩