Chlorinated and brominated contaminants including PCBs and PBDEs in minke whales and common dolphins from Korean coastal waters.
Information on the occurrence and distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in marine mammals from Korean coastal waters is not available to date. This is the first study to investigate concentrations and accumulation of PCBs, OCPs, and PBDEs in liver and blubber of minke whales and common dolphins from Korean coastal waters. The concentrations of organochlorines and PBDEs in blubber were several times higher than in liver. The concentrations of PCBs and OCPs were generally low, but the concentrations of PBDEs were similar to those reported for cetaceans elsewhere. The accumulation profiles of OCPs differed between liver and blubber, while the profiles of PCBs and PBDEs were relatively similar in both tissues. The concentrations of PCBs, DDTs, CHLs and PBDEs in common dolphins were significantly higher than those in minke whales, while there were no inter-species differences for HCHs and HCB. The predominant OCP, PCB and PBDE congeners in cetaceans were p,p'-DDE, PCB 153 and BDE 47, respectively. The concentrations of PCBs and DDTs in Korean cetaceans were close to the threshold for adverse health effects.
Moon
Hyo-Bang
HB
Department of Environmental Marine Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Hanyang University, 1271 Sa-3 dong, Sangnok-gu, Ansan 426-791, Republic of Korea. hbmoon@hanyang.ac.kr
Kannan
Kurunthachalam
K
Choi
Minkyu
M
Yu
Jun
J
Choi
Hee-Gu
HG
An
Yong-Rock
YR
Choi
Seok-Gwan
SG
Park
Jung-Youn
JY
Kim
Zang-Geun
ZG
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D004289:Dolphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000032:analysis*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D007723:Korea; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D011786:Quality Control; D012015:Reference Standards; D012623:Seawater; D012997:Solvents; D013045:Species Specificity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014907:Whales / Q000378:metabolism*
D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D012997:Solvents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls