title: Persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes in pinnipeds from King George Island, Antarctica.
abstract: In the present work, fat, skin, liver and muscle samples from Leptonychotes weddellii (Weddell seal, n=2 individuals), Lobodon carcinophagus (crabeater seal, n=2), Arctocephalus gazella (Antarctic fur seal, n=3) and Mirounga leonina (southern elephant seal, n=1) were collected from King George Island, Antarctica, and analysed for POPs (PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and PBDEs) and stable isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in all tissues but fat). PBDEs could be found in only one sample (L. weddellii fat). Generally, PCBs (from 74 to 523 ng g⁻¹ lw), DDTs (from 14 to 168 ng g⁻¹ lw) and chlordanes (from 9 to 78 ng g⁻¹ lw) were the prevailing compounds. Results showed a clear stratification in accordance with ecological data. Nonetheless, stable isotope analyses provide a deeper insight into fluctuations due to migrations and nutritional stress. Correlation between δ(15)N and pollutants suggests, to some degree, a considerable ability to metabolize and/or excrete the majority of them.
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Oceanográfico, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-120 São Paulo-SP, Brazil. caiovzc@gmail.com
authors.forename: Caio V Z
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Cipro
authors.forename: Paco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.forename: Satie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Rosalinda Carmela
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Montone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D010872:Caniformia / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D046069:Fur Seals / Q000378:metabolism; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism; D046048:Seals, Earless / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls