Concentrations and patterns of organic contaminants in Atlantic white-sided dolphins ( Lagenorhynchus acutus) from Irish and Scottish coastal waters

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 1997, Vol.98 (1), p.15-27
• Main Authors: McKenzie, C., Rogan, E., Reid, R.J., Wells, D.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorobiphenyls; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lagenorhynchus acutus; Mammalia; Marine; organochlorine; pesticides; principal components analysis
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/S0269-7491(97)00109-7

Chlorobiphenyls (CBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been determined in the blubber of 17 Atlantic white-sided dolphins stranded at Killala Bay, Co Mayo, Ireland and five from the Scottish coast. The concentrations of the contaminants measured range from 773 to 63 400μg kg −1 for ∑CB and from 160 to 54 600 μg kg −1 for ∑DDT. The concentrations of the CBs and OCPs is highly dependent on the age, sex, reproductive state and nutritional condition of the animals in addition to the intake via the food web. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) has been used to study the variation of chemical patterns (data ratioed to CB 153). Immature animals (< 6 years), mature males and primogravid females, and lactating females could be distinguished on the basis of their contaminant patterns. This paper describes the different processes of bioaccumulation and metabolism of organochlorine contaminants (OCs) in this species.