title: Maternal transfer of organohalogenated compounds in sharks and stingrays.
abstract: Elasmobranchs can bioaccumulate considerable amounts of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and utilize several reproductive strategies thereby influencing maternal transfer of contaminants. This study provides preliminary data on the POP transfer from pregnant females to offspring of three species (Atlantic stingrays, bonnethead, blacktip sharks) with different reproduction modes (aplacental, placental viviparity). Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels were generally higher than any other POPs. Stingrays and blacktip shark embryos contained the lowest POP concentrations while bonnetheads and the blacktip adult female had the highest concentrations. Results suggest that POPs are more readily transferred from the mother to the embryo compared to what is transferred to ova in stingrays. Statistically significant differences in levels of selected POPs were found between embryos from the left and right uterus within the same litter as well as between female and male embryos within the same litter for bonnetheads, but not for the blacktip sharks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), The University of Queensland, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, QLD 4108, Australia. Electronic address: liesbeth.weijs@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weijs
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Biology, Høgskoleringen 5, Realfagbygget, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Briels
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish & Wildlife Research Institute, 1220 Prospect Ave., #285, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Oceanology - MARE Center, University of Liège B6C, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lepoint
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Oceanology - MARE Center, University of Liège B6C, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Krishna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blust
authors.affiliation: Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covaci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012098:Reproduction; D012754:Sharks / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014599:Uterus; D052286:Viviparity, Nonmammalian; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Atlantic stingrays; Blacktip sharks; Bonnethead; Embryo; Maternal transfer; POPs