Persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes in pinnipeds from King George Island, Antarctica

Cipro, Caio V.Z.; Bustamante, Paco; Taniguchi, Satie; Montone, Rosalinda Carmela

Persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes in pinnipeds from King George Island, Antarctica

2012

Cipro, Caio V.Z. | Bustamante, Paco | Taniguchi, Satie | Montone, Rosalinda Carmela

In the present work, fat, skin, liver and muscle samples from Leptonychotes weddellii (Weddell seal, n=2 individuals), Lobodon carcinophagus (crabeater seal, n=2), Arctocephalus gazella (Antarctic fur seal, n=3) and Mirounga leonina (southern elephant seal, n=1) were collected from King George Island, Antarctica, and analysed for POPs (PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and PBDEs) and stable isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in all tissues but fat). PBDEs could be found in only one sample (L. weddellii fat). Generally, PCBs (from 74 to 523ngg⁻¹lw), DDTs (from 14 to 168ngg⁻¹lw) and chlordanes (from 9 to 78ngg⁻¹lw) were the prevailing compounds. Results showed a clear stratification in accordance with ecological data. Nonetheless, stable isotope analyses provide a deeper insight into fluctuations due to migrations and nutritional stress. Correlation between δ¹⁵N and pollutants suggests, to some degree, a considerable ability to metabolize and/or excrete the majority of them.

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