Northern Fur Ssal Vibrissae OrganoChlorine Contaminant Concentrations

• Main Authors: Giarikos, Dimitri, Hirons, Amy, White, Courtney
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: NSUWorks 2024
• Subjects: Organochlorines; polybrominated diphenyl ethers; northern fur seal; Callorhinus ursinus vibrissae; partitioning; SECLER; Analytical Chemistry; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment; Environmental Monitoring; Organic Chemistry; Other Animal Sciences; Callorhinus ursinus; Northern fur seal
• Online Access: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/secler_data/5; https://nsuworks.nova.edu/context/secler_data/article/1004/type/native/viewcontent/Northern_Fur_Ssal_Vibrissae_OC_Contaminant_Concentrations.xlsx

The eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on the Pribilof Islands has experienced population declines since 1980. The decline may be due to anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which bioaccumulate, are toxic, and persistent. This study conducted a comparison of 21 organochlorine (OC) and 39 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) analyte concentrations utilizing archived vibrissae (whiskers) from individual fur seals sampled in 1993 (n=30) and 2013 (n=41). The PBDEs had values five times greater than the legacy status OCs. There were no significant mean concentration differences between 1993 and 2013 for total organochlorines (ΣOCs), or total polybrominated diphenyl ethers (ΣPBDEs). PBDEs were detected at five times greater concentrations than OCs, indicating the worldwide trends in their over time. The data show that there could be an adaptive advantage to partitioning contaminants into this inert tissue.