Perfluoroalkyl contaminants in liver tissue from East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
2005
Smithwick, Marla | Muir, Derek C. G. | Mabury, Scott A. | Solomon, Keith R. | Martin, Jonathan W. | Sonne, Christian | Born, Erik W. | Letcher, Robert J. | Dietz, Rune
Perfluoroalkyl substances were determined in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) collected in East Greenland (69°00′N to 74°00′'N) to compare with other populations and to examine effects of age and gender on concentrations of these contaminants. Hepatic tissue (n = 29) was analyzed for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate, heptadecafluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA), and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) with C₉–C₁₅ perfluorinated carbon chains by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Concentrations of PFOS found in samples from East Greenland (mean = 2,470 ± 1,320 ng/g wet weight) were similar to Hudson Bay, Canada, and both populations had significantly greater concentrations than those reported for Alaska, suggesting a spatial trend. Male bears showed a significant increase in concentration up to age six for PFCAs with C₁₀–C₁₄ carbon chains (r² ≥ 0.50, p ≤ 0.05). Significant correlations were found between adjacent chain length PFCAs, (e.g., PFNA to PFDA: p < 0.05; r² = 0.90). This may indicate a common source for these chemicals, although the specifics of source and mode of transport are unknown. No significant correlations were found between concentrations of PFCAs in liver tissue and previously reported polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners analyzed in fat samples from the same bears.
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