title: Sex differences in the accumulation of chlorinated dioxins in the cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): implication of hepatic sequestration in the maternal transfer.
abstract: This study focuses on gender-specific accumulation features of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in common (great) cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) collected from Lake Biwa, Japan. Male cormorants showed a tendency to have higher levels of PCDD/DFs and DL-PCBs than did females. For PCDDs, the male-to-female concentration ratio (M/F ratio) for each congener significantly decreased with the liver-to-muscle concentration ratio (Li/Mu ratio). For PCDFs, there also was a weak negative relationship between Li/Mu ratio and M/F ratio. In contrast, for DL-PCBs, M/F ratios showed no correlation with Li/Mu ratios, but increased with an increase in lipophilicity. These results, together with observations from prior studies, suggest that congener-specific hepatic sequestration may be a factor limiting the maternal transfer of PCDDs and, to a lesser extent, PCDFs. Maternal transfer of DL-PCBs seems to favor more lipophilic congeners in the cormorants.
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Hisato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004147:Dioxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical