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.