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Assessment of persistent organic pollutants in killer whales (Orcinus orca) of the Canadian Arctic: Implications for subsistence consumption and conservation strategies.
Desforges, Jean-Pierre; Ferguson, Steven H; Remili, Anaïs; McKinney, Melissa A; Watt, Cortney A; Matthews, Cory J D.
Afiliación
  • Desforges JP; Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: j.desforges@uwinnipeg.ca.
  • Ferguson SH; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Canada.
  • Remili A; Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada.
  • McKinney MA; Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada.
  • Watt CA; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Canada.
  • Matthews CJD; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: Cory.Matthews@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Environ Res ; 244: 117992, 2024 Mar 01.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38128600
ABSTRACT
Killer whales (Orcinus orca) historically restricted to certain Arctic regions due to extensive sea ice have recently been documented farther north and for longer durations in the Canadian Arctic. These apex predators accumulate high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations and profiles of POPs in killer whales of the Canadian Arctic, thus determining potential risks for Inuit communities if consumed. Biopsies were collected from 33 killer whales across areas of the Canadian Arctic between 2009 and 2021. Significant variability in POP concentrations was observed among whales. The cumulative POP concentrations ranged from 12 to >2270 mg/kg lw, representing ∼200-fold increase from the least to the most contaminated individual. The rank order of concentrations of the top five contaminant classes was ∑DDT, ∑PCB, ∑CHL, ∑Toxaphene, and Dieldrin. Several emerging Arctic contaminants were detected, including chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, pentachloroanisole, and polychlorinated naphthalenes, although at relatively lower concentrations than legacy POPs. Considering the elevated blubber POP levels in killer whales, recommended daily consumption thresholds, established based on human tolerable daily intake (TDI) values, were notably restricted for ∑PCB (<0.14 g), ∑DDT (<6.9 g), ∑CHL (<13 g), dieldrin (<8 g) and heptachlor epoxide (<5 g). Killer whales in the Canadian Arctic exhibited higher POP concentrations than other commonly hunted species such as polar bears, ringed seals, and Arctic char. We acknowledge that a more holistic risk assessment of diet is required to assess the cumulative impacts of contaminant mixtures as well as nutritional quality of tissues commonly consumed by northern communities.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Contaminantes Químicos del Agua / Bifenilos Policlorados / Contaminantes Ambientales / Orca Límite: Animals / Humans País/Región como asunto: America do norte Idioma: En Revista: Environ Res Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article Pais de publicación: Países Bajos
Texto completo
Añadir a Mi BVS
Imprimir
XML
PubMed Links
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Contaminantes Químicos del Agua / Bifenilos Policlorados / Contaminantes Ambientales / Orca Límite: Animals / Humans País/Región como asunto: America do norte Idioma: En Revista: Environ Res Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article Pais de publicación: Países Bajos