Using chorioallantoic membranes for non-lethal assessment of persistent organic pollutant exposure and effect in oviparous wildlife

David Peakall and co-workers pioneered innovative approaches that utilized extra-embryonic membranes to assess accumulation of organochlorine pesticides in eggs. This technique provided the foundation for an entire line of research to improve non-lethal methods for assessing contaminant exposure in oviparous wildlife. Currently, analysis of chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) provides predictable estimates of chlorinated contaminant presence in eggs and in maternal tissues. Field studies have been conducted with herons, stilts, alligators, crocodiles, and sea turtles. Controlled dose-response studies have been completed in chickens. The following manuscript presents the foundations for the CAM approach and a review of research findings involving this technique.