(Table 2) Polybrominated diphenyl ether concentration in blubber samples from whales, seals and porpoises between 1986-2009

• Main Authors: Rotander, Anna, van Bavel, Bert, Rigét, Frank F, Auðunsson, Guðjón Atli, Polder, Anuschka, Gabrielsen, Geir W, Víkingsson, Gísli, Mikkelsen, Bjarni, Dam, Maria
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2012
• Subjects: Area/locality; Biological sample; BIOS; E_Greenland; Event label; Faroe_Island; Faroe Islands; Greenland; Iceland; International Polar Year (2007-2008); IPY; Latitude of event; Longitude of event; Method comment; Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Norway; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; congener BDE-47; Sample type; Sampling date; Sex; Species; common name; W_Greenland; W_Iceland; Arctic; Balaenoptera acutorostrata; Balaenoptera physalus; Cystophora cristata; Fin whale; hooded seal; International Polar Year; minke whale; Phoca hispida; Phocoena phocoena; ringed seal; toothed whale
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.819395; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.819395

A selection of MeO-BDE and BDE congeners were analyzed in pooled blubber samples of pilot whale (Globicephala melas), ringed seal (Phoca hispida), minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), and Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), covering a time period of more than 20 years (1986-2009). The analytes were extracted and cleaned-up using open column extraction and multi-layer silica gel column chromatography. The analysis was performed using both low resolution and high resolution GC-MS. MeO-PBDE concentrations relative to total PBDE concentrations varied greatly between sampling periods and species. The highest MeO-PBDE levels were found in the toothed whale species pilot whale and white-sided dolphin, often exceeding the concentration of the most abundant PBDE, BDE-47. The lowest MeO-PBDE levels were found in fin whales and ringed seals. The main MeO-BDE congeners were 6-MeO-BDE47 and 2'-MeO-BDE68. A weak correlation only between BDE47 and its methoxylated analog 6-MeO-BDE47 was found and is indicative of a natural source for MeO-PBDEs.