PBDEs in the blubber of marine mammals from coastal areas of São Paulo, Brazil, southwestern Atlantic

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 62; no. 12; pp. 2666 - 2670
• Main Authors: Yogui, G.T., Santos, M.C.O., Bertozzi, C.P., Sericano, J.L., Montone, R.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - chemistry; Adipose Tissue - drug effects; Analysis of Variance; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; blubber; Brazil; Cetacea; coasts; continental shelf; Dolphins; Ecosystem; Female; flame retardants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - veterinary; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - analysis; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - toxicity; Male; Mammalia; Marine; mixtures; Persistent organic pollutant; polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Pontoporia blainvillei; Pontoporiablainvillei; predators; Sea water ecosystems; Sex Distribution; Sotalia; Sotaliaguianensis; Species Specificity; Stenella; Stenellafrontalis; Steno; Stenobredanensis; Synecology; Tursiops; Tursiopstruncatus; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; water pollution; South America; Brazil; America; ASW, Atlantic; ASW, Brazil, Sao Paulo; ASW, Brazil; Persistent organic pollutant; Pontoporiablainvillei; Sotaliaguianensis; Stenobredanensis; Stenellafrontalis; Tursiopstruncatus; Adipose tissue; Ether; Steno bredanensis; Flame retardant; Low volatile compound; Coastal zone; Tursiops truncatus; Stenella frontalis; Marine environment; Vertebrata; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Mammalia; Sotalia guianensis; Bromine Organic compounds; Cetacea; Pontoporia blainvillei; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.09.024

► Levels of PBDEs are higher in continental shelf rather than inshore dolphins. ► BDEs 47, 99, and 100 were the major congeners detected in the dolphins. ► Congeners found in Octa-BDE formulations were not detected in the dolphins. ► Contamination of animals in the South Atlantic is lower than in the North Atlantic. ► PBDEs comprise 0.2–1.5% of the total burden of POPs. Limited information is available in the literature on the levels of brominated flame retardants in the southern hemisphere. This study presents concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the blubber of small cetaceans from the coast of São Paulo (Brazil), southwestern Atlantic. PBDE levels were highest in Stenellafrontalis (770ngg−1 lipid) followed by Stenobredanensis (475ngg−1 lipid), Sotaliaguianensis (65.6ngg−1 lipid), Tursiopstruncatus (64.2ngg−1 lipid) and Pontoporiablainvillei (60.3ngg−1 lipid). In general, continental shelf individuals exhibited higher contamination than inshore animals. This might be related to larger prey items consumed by continental shelf dolphins. The pattern of contamination indicates that Penta-BDE commercial mixtures are a major source of PBDEs to top predators in the southwestern Atlantic. Congeners found in Octa-BDE formulations were not detected in the investigated animals.