From banana fields to the deep blue: Assessment of chlordecone contamination of oceanic cetaceans in the eastern Caribbean

• Published in: Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Main Authors: Méndez-Fernandez, Paula, Kiszka, Jérémy, Heithaus, Michael, R, Beal, Andria, Vandersarren, Gaëlle, Caurant, Florence, Spitz, Jérôme, Taniguchi, Satie, Montone, Rosalinda, C
• Other Authors: Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo = University of São Paulo (USP), Observatoire pour la Conservation de la Mégafaune Marine (PELAGIS), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Biological Sciences Miami, Florida International University Miami (FIU), CAR-SPAW, Parc National de Guadeloupe France, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: Chlordecone; Cetacean odontocetes; Caribbean Islands; Biomagnification; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Physeter macrocephalus
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02237509; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.012

International audience In the French West Indies (Caribbean), the insecticide Chlordecone (CLD) has been extensively used to reducebanana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) infestations in banana plantations. Previous studies have shown high CLDconcentrations in freshwater and coastal communities of the region. CLD concentrations, however, have not yetbeen assessed in marine top predators. We investigated CLD concentrations in cetacean blubber tissues fromGuadeloupe, including Physeter macrocephalus, Lagenodelphis hosei, Stenella attenuata and Pseudorca crassidens.Chlordecone was detected in all blubber samples analysed, with the exception of four P. macrocephalus.Concentrations (range: 1 to 329 ng·g−1 of lipid weight) were, however, lower than those found in species fromfresh and brackish water. Ecological factors (open ocean habitat), CLD kinetics, and cetacean metabolism (highor specific enzymatic activity) might explain low concentrations found in cetacean blubber. Future analyses thatinclude internal organ sampling would help to confirm CLD levels observed in this study.