Accumulation and maternal transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls in Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) from Prince William Sound and the Bering Sea, Alaska.
The western stock of the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in the northern Pacific Ocean has declined by approximately 80% over the past 30 years. This led to the listing of this sea lion population as an endangered species in 1997. Chemical pollution is [corrected] one of several contributing causes. In the present study, 145 individual PCBs were determined in tissues of male sea lions from Tatitlek (Prince William Sound) and St. Paul Island (Bering Sea), and placentae from the Aleutian Islands. PCBs 90/101, 118, and 153 were abundant in all the samples. The mean toxic equivalents (TEQ) were 2.6, 4.7 and 7.4 pg/g lw in the kidney, liver, and blubber samples, respectively. The mean TEQ in placentae was 8 pg/g lw. Total PCBs concentrations (2.6-7.9 μg/g lw) in livers of some males were within a range known to cause physiological effects, further [corrected] suggesting the possibility of adverse effects on this stock.
Wang
Jun
J
Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii, 1955 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
Hülck
Kathrin
K
Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii, 1955 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
Hong
Su-Myeong
SM
National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-707, Republic of Korea.
Atkinson
Shannon
S
University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Juneau Center, 17101 Pt. Lena Loop Road, Juneau, AK 99801, USA.
Li
Qing X
QX
Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii, 1955 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. Electronic address: qingl@hawaii.edu.
D000413:Alaska; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D046070:Sea Lions / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls