An assessment of contaminant concentrations in toothed whale species of the NW Iberian Peninsula: Part I. Persistent organic pollutants

作者：Mendez Fernandez Paula^*; Webster Lynda; Chouvelon Tiphaine; Bustamante Paco; Ferreira Marisa; Gonzalez Angel F; Lopez Alfredo; Moffat Colin F; Pierce Graham J; Read Fiona L; Russell Marie; Santos Maria B; Spitz Jerome; Vingada Jose V; Caurant Florence

来源：Science of the Total Environment, 2014, 484: 196-205.

DOI：10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.02.045

• PCBs
• PBDEs
• Bioaccumulation
• Patterns
• Toothed whales
• Northwest Iberian Peninsula

Concentrations and patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the blubber of the five most common toothed whales off the Northwest Iberian Peninsula (NWIP), specifically common dolphin, long-finned pilot whale, harbour porpoise, striped dolphin and bottlenose dolphin, were investigated. The study revealed that differences in PCB and PBDE concentrations among the species are highly dependent on age and sex but also on ecological factors such as trophic level, prey type and habitat. Of the five species studied, bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise showed the greatest concentrations of PCBs. Both species exceed the toxic threshold of 17 mu g g(-1) lipid weight (PCB Aroclor equivalent) for health effects on marine mammals, for 100% and 75% of the individuals tested, respectively. Overall, the PCB and PBDE levels observed in the NWIP toothed whales were of the same order of magnitude or lower than those reported by previous studies in areas of the NE Atlantic. However, they are often higher than those for toothed whales from the southern Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.

• 出版日期2014-6-15