| Summary: | Congener-specific accumulation and prey to predatortransfer of 22 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) wereassessed in polar cod, ringed seal, polar bear, andbeluga whale. Although the concentrations found wererelatively low, these results show that PBDEs have reachedthe Arctic. PBDE congeners 47, 99, and 100 were dominantin all species studied. The pattern in ringed seal wassomewhat simpler than in polar cod, with PBDE 47 accountingfor more than 90% of the total PBDEs. In contrast,beluga whales, feeding on prey similar to that of ringedseals, showed higher PBDE levels and a more complex PBDEpattern than ringed seals. In contrast, polar bearscontained only PBDE 47 in relatively small amounts.These differences in levels and patterns are likely due tospecies-specific differences in PBDE metabolism andaccumulation. The metabolic index suggested that PBDEs47 and 99 accumulate to the same magnitude as PCB153 (PCB ) polychlorinated biphenyl) in ringed seals andbeluga whales. In contrast to beluga whales, ringedseals can metabolize PBDE 100 to some extent. Polarbears are seemingly capable of metabolizing virtually allPBDEs and are therefore unsuitable as indicators for PBDEcontamination in the environment.
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