title: River otters as biomonitors for organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs in Illinois.
abstract: The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a biomonitor for organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) associated with a wide range of deleterious health effects in wildlife and humans. We determined concentrations of twenty OHCs in livers of 23 river otters salvaged by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources from 2009 to 2011, determined sex-dependent distribution of OHCs, and compared our results to the reported concentrations of four OHCs in Illinois river otters from 1984 to 1989. Since these contaminants have been banned for over 30 years, we predicted smaller mean concentrations than those previously reported in Illinois otters. We detected eleven of twenty OHCs; PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dieldrin, and 4,4'-DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) were present in the greatest mean concentrations. We report the largest mean concentration of dieldrin to date in the liver of North American river otters (mean: 174, range: 14.4-534 parts per billion wet wt [ppb]). Mean PCB concentrations were significantly higher in males (mean: 851; range: 30-3450 ppb) than females (mean: 282; range: 40-850 ppb; p=0.04). Mean concentrations of dieldrin were greater than those detected in otters from 1984 to 1989 (mean: 90; range: 30-130 ppb; p<0.05). Our results suggest OHC exposure remains a concern. Future research in Illinois should focus on evaluating OHCs exposures, particularly dieldrin, at the watershed level.
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak St., Champaign IL 61820, United States. Electronic address: samantha@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Samantha K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak St., Champaign IL 61820, United States. Electronic address: nohram@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Nohra E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Mateus-Pinilla
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2001 South Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL 61802, United States. Electronic address: ksingh08@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Kuldeep
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, Michigan State University, 4125 Beaumont Rd., Lansing, MI 48910, United States. Electronic address: LehnerA@dcpah.msu.edu.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lehner
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak St., Champaign IL 61820, United States. Electronic address: damiansp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Satterthwaite-Phillips
authors.affiliation: Illinois Department of Natural Resources, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271, United States. Electronic address: Bob.Bluett@Illinois.gov.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bluett
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak St., Champaign IL 61820, United States. Electronic address: river@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Nelda A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 205 Meat Science Lab 1503S Maryland Dr M/C 010, Urbana, IL 61801, United States. Electronic address: jnova@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Jan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Novakofski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D007087:Illinois; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D010041:Otters / Q000502:physiology*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Dieldrin; Illinois; Lontra canadensis; Organohalogenated compounds; PCBs