POPs in free-ranging pilot whales, sperm whales and fin whales from the Mediterranean Sea: Influence of biological and ecological factors

• Published in: Environmental Research
• Main Authors: Pinzone, Marianna, Budzinski, Hélène, Tasciotti, Aurélie, Ody, Denis, Lepoint, Gilles, Schnitzler, Joseph, Scholl, George, Thomé, Jean-Pierre, Tapie, Nathalie, Eppe, Gauthier, Das, Krishna
• Other Authors: Laboratory of Oceanology, MARE Centre, B6c, University of Liege, B6c, Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liege, Belgium, ISM/LPTC, Laboratory of Physical and Chemical Chemistry, University of Bordeaux I, 351 Cours de la Libération, 33405 Bordeaux, France, Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques (EPOC), Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers (OASU), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), WWF-France, 6 Rue des Fabres, 13001 Marseille France, Université de Liège
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2015
• Subjects: Marine mammals; Stable isotopes; Persistent organic pollutants; Mediterranean Sea; Toxicity; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; [CHIM]Chemical Sciences; Balaenoptera physalus; Fin whale; Physeter macrocephalus; Sperm whale; toothed whales
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03159446; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2015.06.021

International audience The pilot whale Globicephala melas, the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus, and the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus are large cetaceans permanently inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea. These species are subjected to numerous anthropogenic threats such as exposure to high levels of contaminants. Therefore, selected persistent organic pollutants POPs (29 PCBs, 15 organochlorine compounds, 9 PBDEs and 17 PCDD/Fs) were analysed in blubber biopsies of 49 long-finned pilot whales, 61 sperm whales and 70 fin whales sampled in the North Western Mediterranean Sea (NWMS) from 2006 to 2013. Contamination profile and species feeding ecology were then combined through the use of stable isotopes. δ13C, δ15N values and POPs levels were assessed through IR-MS and GC–MS respectively. To assess the toxic potency of the dioxin-like compounds, the TEQ approach was applied. δ15N values were 12.2±1.3‰ for sperm whales, 10.5±0.7‰ for pilot whales and 7.7±0.8‰ in fin whales, positioning sperm whales at higher trophic levels. δ13C of the two odontocetes was similar and amounted to −17.3±0.4‰ for sperm whales and −17.8±0.3‰ for pilot whales; whilst fin whales were more depleted (−18.7±0.4‰). This indicates a partial overlap in toothed-whales feeding habitats, while confirms the differences in feeding behaviour of the mysticete. Pilot whales presented higher concentrations than sperm whales for ΣPCBs (38,666±25,731 ng g−1 lw and 22,849±15,566 ng g−1 lw respectively), ΣPBDEs (712±412 ng g−1 lw and 347±173 ng g−1 lw respectively) and ΣDDTs (46,081±37,506 ng g−1 lw and 37,647±38,518 ng g−1 lw respectively). Fin whales presented the lowest values, in accordance with its trophic position (ΣPCBs: 5721±5180 ng g−1 lw, ΣPBDEs: 177±208 ng g−1 lw and ΣDDTs: 6643±5549 ng g−1 lw). Each species was characterized by large inter-individual variations that are more related to sex than trophic level, with males presenting higher contaminant burden than females. The discriminant analysis (DA) confirmed how DDTs and highly chlorinated ...