| Summary: | The aim of this study was tomeasure persistent organic pollutants in northern elephant seals(NES], Mirounga angustirotris ). We obtained blubber biopsy samples from six healthy, newly weaned NES pups from Año Nuevo, California (USA). Contaminant levels were lower than those of other pinnipeds studied on the west coast of North America. Blubber concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo‐ p ‐dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans averaged 700 ± 130 μg/kg, 32 ± 23 ng/kg, and 17 ± 5 ng/kg (lipid wt), respectively. These contaminants originate from transplacental transfer and from maternal milk, which, in turn, reflect contaminants acquired by the mother from prey during long‐distance foraging trips in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The PCB profile in the blubber of NES pups mainly was composed of penta‐, hexa‐, and hepta‐chlorobiphenyls, possibly reflecting the deep‐sea nature of the mother's diet. Our results suggest that NES pups, in contrast to pups of other pinnipeds in the eastern Pacific Ocean, are exposed to low levels of persistent organic pollutants, reflecting an open ocean signal.
|
|---|