Persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes in pinnipeds from King George Island, Antarctica

• Published in: Chemosphere
• Main Authors: Cipro, Caio V. Z., Bustamante, Paco, Taniguchi, Satie, Montone, Rosalinda Carmela
• Other Authors: LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo = University of São Paulo (USP)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: Antarctica; Seal; Stable isotopes; Organochlorine; PBDEs; POPs; [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology; Antarctic; King George Island; Weddell; Antarc*; Antarctic Fur Seal; Arctocephalus gazella; Crabeater Seal; Elephant Seal; Lobodon carcinophagus; Mirounga leonina; Southern Elephant Seal; Weddell Seal
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00819442; https://hal.science/hal-00819442/document; https://hal.science/hal-00819442/file/Cipro_et_al._2012_MPB.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.07.047

International audience In the present work, fat, skin, liver and muscle samples from Leptonychotes weddellii (Weddell seal, n=2 individuals), Lobodon carcinophagus (crabeater seal, n=2), Arctocephalus gazella (Antarctic fur seal, n=3) and Mirounga leonina (southern elephant seal, n=1) were collected from King George Island, Antarctica, and analysed for POPs (PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and PBDEs) and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N in all tissues but fat). PBDEs could be found in only one sample (L. weddellii fat). Generally, PCBs (from 74 to 523 ng g-1 lw), DDTs (from 14 to 168 ng g-1 lw) and chlordanes (from 9 to 78 ng g-1 lw) were the prevailing compounds. Results showed a clear stratification in accordance with ecological data. Nonetheless, stable isotope analyses provide a deeper insight into fluctuations due to migrations and nutritional stress. Correlation between 15N and pollutants suggests, to some degree, a considerable ability to metabolize and/or excrete the majority of them.