Temporal trends of brominated and fluorinated contaminants in Canadian Arctic beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)

Limited information exists regarding contemporary and historical emissions for many anthropogenic chemicals, especially for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). This study examined temporal trends of several perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and hexabromo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arctic Science
Main Authors: Tristan A. Smythe, Lisa L. Loseto, Anders Bignert, Bruno Rosenberg, Wesley Budakowski, Thor Halldorson, Kerri Pleskach, Gregg T. Tomy
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
French
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2018
Subjects:
beaufort sea
cumberland sound
western hudson bay
organic contaminants
northern contaminants program
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Environmental engineering
TA170-171
Arctic
Hudson Bay
Hudson
Cumberland Sound
Pangnirtung
Sanikiluaq
Hendrickson Island
Beaufort Sea
Beluga
Beluga whale
Beluga*
Climate change
Delphinapterus leucas
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2017-0044
https://doaj.org/article/49630298efdc43219a32acc1ae75f8aa
Description
Summary:Limited information exists regarding contemporary and historical emissions for many anthropogenic chemicals, especially for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). This study examined temporal trends of several perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in three beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) populations from the Canadian Arctic [Hendrickson Island (HI), NT; Pangnirtung (PG), NU; and Sanikiluaq (SQ), NU] collected from 1982 to 2013. The confounding factors of animal size, age, and sex were included in the analyses, but were only significant for some CECs. The strongest temporal resolution was obtained from HI, which showed increasing trends in PBDEs (4.8%/year) and HBCDs (2.9%/year), and decreases in perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids (PFCAs, −6.0%/year). Concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) were relatively stable between 1984 and 2010, increasing substantially in 2011; trends in perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) concentrations were not strictly linear over the study period. PBDE, HBCD, and PFCA trends in the HI population were opposite/different to that of many other arctic animals (e.g., polar bears) for the same time period. Trends were inconsistent among locations, suggesting that regional differences in dietary exposure and/or sources may also impact these trends. The effects of climate-change-driven processes on the exposure and distribution of CECs are currently not well understood, highlighting a need for ongoing contaminant monitoring.

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