title: PCBs and DDT in the serum of juvenile California sea lions: associations with vitamins A and E and thyroid hormones.
abstract: Top-trophic predators like California sea lions bioaccumulate high levels of persistent fat-soluble pollutants that may provoke physiological impairments such as endocrine or vitamins A and E disruption. We measured circulating levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in 12 healthy juvenile California sea lions captured on Año Nuevo Island, California, in 2002. We investigated the relationship between the contamination by PCBs and DDT and the circulating levels of vitamins A and E and thyroid hormones (thyroxine, T4 and triiodothyronine, T3). Serum concentrations of total PCBs (sigmaPCBs) and total DDT were 14 +/- 9 mg/kg and 28 +/- 19 mg/kg lipid weight, respectively. PCB toxic equivalents (sigmaPCB TEQs) were 320 +/- 170 ng/kg lipid weight. Concentrations of sigmaPCBs and sigmaPCB TEQs in serum lipids were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with serum vitamin A and T3, potentially reflecting PCB-related toxicity. A slight but not significant negative correlation (p < 0.1) was observed between serum T4 and the levels of sigmaPCBs and sigmaPCB TEQs. Conversely, no relationship was evident between the contaminant concentrations and vitamin E (p > 0.1). As juvenile California sea lions are useful sentinels of coastal contamination, the high levels encountered in their serum is cause for concern about the ecosystem health of the area.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Biochimie de la Nutrition, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2/8, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. debier@bnut.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Debier
authors.forename: Gina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ylitalo
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weise
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gulland
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Burney J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Le Boeuf
authors.forename: Tanguy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Tillesse
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Larondelle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D002140:California; D003634:DDT / Q000097:blood*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D046070:Sea Lions / Q000097:blood*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D014801:Vitamin A; D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D013974:Thyroxine