Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)
Harbor porpoises from the German North and Baltic Seas exhibit a higher incidence of bacterial infections compared to whales from less polluted arctic waters. The potential adverse effect of environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals on the immune system and...
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fthzgzmk:oai:publications.hereon.de:23609 2023-06-11T04:09:39+02:00 Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) Beinicke, A. Siebert, U. Mc Lachlan, M. Bruhn, R. Thron, K. Failing, K. Mueller, G. Baumgaertner, W. 2005 https://publications.hereon.de/id/23609 https://publications.hzg.de/id/23609 en eng http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es048709j urn:issn:0013-936X https://publications.hereon.de/id/23609 https://publications.hzg.de/id/23609 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess issn:0013-936X Beinicke, A.; Siebert, U.; Mc Lachlan, M.; Bruhn, R.; Thron, K.; Failing, K.; Mueller, G.; Baumgaertner, W.: Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). In: Environmental Science and Technology. Vol. 39 (2005) 11, 3933 - 3938. (DOI:10.1021/es048709j ) info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/551 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Zeitschrift Artikel 2005 fthzgzmk https://doi.org/10.1021/es048709j 2023-05-28T23:22:17Z Harbor porpoises from the German North and Baltic Seas exhibit a higher incidence of bacterial infections compared to whales from less polluted arctic waters. The potential adverse effect of environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals on the immune system and the health status of marine mammals is still discussed controversially. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible influence of PCB, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), toxaphene, (p,p\'-dichlorodiphenyl)trichlorethane (DDT), and (p,p\'-dichlorodiphenyl)dichlorethene (DDE) on the immune system of harbor porpoises. Lymphoid organs are influenced by a variety of factors, and therefore special emphasis was given to separating the confounding effect of age, health status, nutritional state, geographical location, and sex from the effect of contaminant levels upon thymus and spleen. Contaminant analysis and detailed pathological examinations were conducted on 61 by-caught and stranded whales from the North and Baltic Seas and Icelandic and Norwegian waters. Stranded harbor porpoises were more severely diseased than by-caught animals. Thymic atrophy and splenic depletion were significantly correlated to increased PCB and PBDE levels. However, lymphoid depletion was also associated with emaciation and an impaired health status. The present report supports the hypothesis of a contaminant-induced immunosuppression, possibly contributing to disease susceptibility in harbor porpoises. However, further studies are needed to determine if lymphoid depletion is primarily contaminant-induced or secondary to disease and emaciation in this cetacean species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Phocoena phocoena Hereon Publications (Helmholtz-Zentrum) Arctic Environmental Science & Technology 39 11 3933 3938 |
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Hereon Publications (Helmholtz-Zentrum) |
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fthzgzmk |
language |
English |
topic |
info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/551 |
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info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/551 Beinicke, A. Siebert, U. Mc Lachlan, M. Bruhn, R. Thron, K. Failing, K. Mueller, G. Baumgaertner, W. Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
topic_facet |
info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/551 |
description |
Harbor porpoises from the German North and Baltic Seas exhibit a higher incidence of bacterial infections compared to whales from less polluted arctic waters. The potential adverse effect of environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals on the immune system and the health status of marine mammals is still discussed controversially. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible influence of PCB, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), toxaphene, (p,p\'-dichlorodiphenyl)trichlorethane (DDT), and (p,p\'-dichlorodiphenyl)dichlorethene (DDE) on the immune system of harbor porpoises. Lymphoid organs are influenced by a variety of factors, and therefore special emphasis was given to separating the confounding effect of age, health status, nutritional state, geographical location, and sex from the effect of contaminant levels upon thymus and spleen. Contaminant analysis and detailed pathological examinations were conducted on 61 by-caught and stranded whales from the North and Baltic Seas and Icelandic and Norwegian waters. Stranded harbor porpoises were more severely diseased than by-caught animals. Thymic atrophy and splenic depletion were significantly correlated to increased PCB and PBDE levels. However, lymphoid depletion was also associated with emaciation and an impaired health status. The present report supports the hypothesis of a contaminant-induced immunosuppression, possibly contributing to disease susceptibility in harbor porpoises. However, further studies are needed to determine if lymphoid depletion is primarily contaminant-induced or secondary to disease and emaciation in this cetacean species. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Beinicke, A. Siebert, U. Mc Lachlan, M. Bruhn, R. Thron, K. Failing, K. Mueller, G. Baumgaertner, W. |
author_facet |
Beinicke, A. Siebert, U. Mc Lachlan, M. Bruhn, R. Thron, K. Failing, K. Mueller, G. Baumgaertner, W. |
author_sort |
Beinicke, A. |
title |
Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_short |
Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_full |
Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_fullStr |
Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_sort |
investigation of the potential influence of environmental contaminants on the thymus and spleen of harbor porpoises (phocoena phocoena) |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
https://publications.hereon.de/id/23609 https://publications.hzg.de/id/23609 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Phocoena phocoena |
genre_facet |
Arctic Phocoena phocoena |
op_source |
issn:0013-936X Beinicke, A.; Siebert, U.; Mc Lachlan, M.; Bruhn, R.; Thron, K.; Failing, K.; Mueller, G.; Baumgaertner, W.: Investigation of the Potential Influence of Environmental Contaminants on the Thymus and Spleen of Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). In: Environmental Science and Technology. Vol. 39 (2005) 11, 3933 - 3938. (DOI:10.1021/es048709j ) |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es048709j urn:issn:0013-936X https://publications.hereon.de/id/23609 https://publications.hzg.de/id/23609 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1021/es048709j |
container_title |
Environmental Science & Technology |
container_volume |
39 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
3933 |
op_container_end_page |
3938 |
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1768383628577865728 |