title: Occurrence of triclosan in plasma of wild Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and in their environment.
abstract: The presence of triclosan, a widely-used antibacterial chemical, is currently unknown in higher trophic-level species such as marine mammals. Blood plasma collected from wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Charleston, SC (CHS) (n = 13) and Indian River Lagoon, FL (IRL) (n = 13) in 2005 was analyzed for triclosan. Plasma concentrations in CHS dolphins ranged from 0.12 to 0.27 ng/g wet weight (mean 0.18 ng/g), with 31% of the sampled individuals having detectable triclosan. The mean IRL dolphin plasma concentrations were 0.072 ng/g wet weight (range 0.025-0.11 ng/g); 23% of the samples having detectable triclosan. In the CHS area, triclosan effluent values from two WWTP were both 190 ng/L and primary influents were 2800 ng/L and 3400 ng/L. Triclosan values in CHS estuarine surface water samples averaged 7.5 ng/L (n = 18) ranging from 4.9 to 14 ng/L. This is the first study to report bioaccumulation of anthropogenic triclosan in a marine mammal highlighting the need for further monitoring and assessment.
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Services, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412-9110, USA. pat.fair@noaa.gov
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Fair
authors.forename: Hing-Biu
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Darling
authors.forename: Grazina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pacepavicius
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alaee
authors.forename: Gregory D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Bossart
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000097:blood*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D013022:South Carolina; D014260:Triclosan / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014260:Triclosan