1
|
Remili A, Dietz R, Sonne C, Samarra FIP, Letcher RJ, Rikardsen AH, Ferguson SH, Watt CA, Matthews CJD, Kiszka JJ, Rosing-Asvid A, McKinney MA. Varying Diet Composition Causes Striking Differences in Legacy and Emerging Contaminant Concentrations in Killer Whales across the North Atlantic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:16109-16120. [PMID: 37818957 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) tend to biomagnify in food chains, resulting in higher concentrations in species such as killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on marine mammals compared to those consuming fish. Advancements in dietary studies include the use of quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) and differentiation of feeding habits within and between populations of North Atlantic (NA) killer whales. This comprehensive study assessed the concentrations of legacy and emerging POPs in 162 killer whales from across the NA. We report significantly higher mean levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, and flame retardants in Western NA killer whales compared to those of Eastern NA conspecifics. Mean ∑PCBs ranged from ∼100 mg/kg lipid weight (lw) in the Western NA (Canadian Arctic, Eastern Canada) to ∼50 mg/kg lw in the mid-NA (Greenland, Iceland) to ∼10 mg/kg lw in the Eastern NA (Norway, Faroe Islands). The observed variations in contaminant levels were strongly correlated with diet composition across locations (inferred from QFASA), emphasizing that diet and not environmental variation in contaminant concentrations among locations is crucial in assessing contaminant-associated health risks in killer whales. These findings highlight the urgency for implementing enhanced measures to safely dispose of POP-contaminated waste, prevent further environmental contamination, and mitigate the release of newer and potentially harmful contaminants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Remili
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 900 Vestmannaeyjar, Denmark
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 900 Vestmannaeyjar, Denmark
| | - Filipa I P Samarra
- University of Iceland, 900 Vestmannaeyjar, Reykjavík 600169-2039, Iceland
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Audun H Rikardsen
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), N-9296 Tromso, Norway
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Cortney A Watt
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Cory J D Matthews
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Jeremy J Kiszka
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida 33181, United States
| | | | - Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang S, Steiniche T, Rothman JM, Wrangham RW, Chapman CA, Mutegeki R, Quirós R, Wasserman MD, Venier M. Feces are Effective Biological Samples for Measuring Pesticides and Flame Retardants in Primates. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:12013-12023. [PMID: 32900185 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The habitats of wild primates are increasingly threatened by surrounding anthropogenic pressures, but little is known about primate exposure to frequently used chemicals. We applied a novel method to simultaneously measure 21 legacy pesticides (OCPs), 29 current use pesticides (CUPs), 47 halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), and 19 organophosphate flame retardants in feces from baboons in the U.S.A., howler monkeys in Costa Rica, and baboons, chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, and red colobus in Uganda. The most abundant chemicals were α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), and hexachlorobenzene among OCPs across all sites, chlorpyrifos among CUPs in Costa Rica and Indiana, decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) in Costa Rica and Indiana and 2, 2', 4, 4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) in Uganda as HFRs, and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) as OPFRs across all sites. The detected chemical concentrations were generally higher in red-tailed monkeys and red colobus than in chimpanzees and baboons. Our methods can be used to examine the threat of chemical pollutants to wildlife, which is critical for endangered species where only noninvasive methods can be used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaorui Wang
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Tessa Steiniche
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project and Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Colin A Chapman
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052, United States
- Makerere University Biological Field Station, Kibale National Park, Kibale, Uganda
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 712100, P. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3629, South Africa
| | - Richard Mutegeki
- Makerere University Biological Field Station, Kibale National Park, Kibale, Uganda
| | - Rodolfo Quirós
- Organization for Tropical Studies, San Vito 60803, Costa Rica
| | - Michael D Wasserman
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Marta Venier
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vergara EG, Hernández V, Munkittrick KR, Barra R, Galban-Malagon C, Chiang G. Presence of organochlorine pollutants in fat and scats of pinnipeds from the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands, and their relationship to trophic position. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 685:1276-1283. [PMID: 31272787 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Antarctica is still considered one of the few pristine areas in the globe. Despite this, several studies have shown phased out organic pollutants are present in several environmental abiotic and biological compartments. This study, based on blubber and fecal samples collected from five species of Antarctic pinnipeds, assessed the relationship between organochlorine pesticide (OCs) levels and trophic characterization using stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N). The prevailing pollutants found in blubber were hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Heptachlor and Aldrin (0.84-564.11 ng g-1 l.w.). We also report a high presence of HCHs, Endrin, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) and Methoxychlor (4.50-363.86 ng g-1 d.w.) in feces suggesting a detoxification mechanism. All the species tend towards high trophic positions (3.4-4.9), but with considerable variation in trophic niche and organochlorine pesticide concentrations per sampling site. This finding suggests that differences in pesticide levels in individuals are associated to foraging ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E G Vergara
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, EULA Chile Centre, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile; Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile
| | - V Hernández
- Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Sciences, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - K R Munkittrick
- Faculty of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - R Barra
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, EULA Chile Centre, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - C Galban-Malagon
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile; Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - G Chiang
- Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Boyles E, Tan H, Wu Y, Nielsen CK, Shen L, Reiner EJ, Chen D. Halogenated flame retardants in bobcats from the midwestern United States. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 221:191-198. [PMID: 27989386 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.11.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In response to the restrictions of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants in various consumer products, alternative halogenated flame retardants have been subjected to increased use. Compared to aquatic ecosystems, relatively little information is available on the contamination of alternative flame retardants in terrestrial ecosystems, especially with regards to mammalian wildlife. In this study we used a top terrestrial carnivore, the bobcat (Lynx rufus), as a unique biomonitoring species for assessing flame retardant contamination in the Midwestern United States (U.S.) terrestrial ecosystems. Concentrations of ∑PBDEs (including all detectable PBDE congeners) ranged from 8.3 to 1920 ng/g lipid weight (median: 50.3 ng/g lw) in livers from 44 bobcats collected during 2013-2014 in Illinois. Among a variety of alternative flame retardants screened, Dechloranes (including anti- and syn-Dechlorane Plus and Dechlorane-602, 603, and 604), tetrabromo-o-chlorotoluene (TBCT), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) were also frequently detected, with median concentrations of 28.7, 5.2, and 11.8 ng/g lw, respectively. Dechlorane analogue compositions in bobcats were different from what has been reported in other studies, suggesting species- or analogue-dependent bioaccumulation, biomagnification, or metabolism of Dechlorane chemicals in different food webs. Our findings, along with previously reported food web models, suggest Dechloranes may possess substantial bioaccumulation and biomagnification potencies in terrestrial mammalian food webs. Thus, attention should be given to these highly bioavailable flame retardants in future environmental biomonitoring and risk assessments in a post-PBDE era.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esmarie Boyles
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
| | - Hongli Tan
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States; School of Environment, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yan Wu
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
| | - Clayton K Nielsen
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Forestry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
| | - Li Shen
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Eric J Reiner
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Da Chen
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Eggins S, Schneider L, Krikowa F, Vogt RC, Da Silveira R, Maher W. Mercury concentrations in different tissues of turtle and caiman species from the Rio Purus, Amazonas, Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2015; 34:2771-2781. [PMID: 26387493 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury (Hg) concentrations of muscle, liver, blood, and epidermal keratin were measured in typically consumed, economically and culturally important species of turtle (Podocnemis unifilis and Podocnemis expansa) and caiman (Melanosuchus niger and Caiman crocodilus) from the Rio Purus in the Amazon basin, Brazil. Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were also measured in muscle tissue, representing the first analysis of MeHg concentrations in Amazonian reptile species. In muscle tissues Hg was mostly MeHg (79-96%) for all species. No correlations existed between animal size and total Hg or MeHg concentrations for any species other than M. niger, possibly as a result of growth dilution or the evolution of efficient Hg elimination mechanisms. Significant linear correlations were found between total Hg concentrations in all pairs of nonlethally sampled tissues (keratin and blood) and internal tissues (muscle and liver) for M. niger and between keratin and internal tissues for P. expansa, indicating that nonlethally sampled tissues can be analyzed to achieve more widespread and representative monitoring of Hg bioaccumulation in Amazonian reptiles. Although mean Hg concentrations in muscle for all species were below the World Health Organization guideline for safe consumption (500 µg kg(-1)), mean concentrations in caiman liver were above the safe limit for pregnant women and children (200 µg kg(-1)). No significant differences were found between total Hg and MeHg concentrations in tissues from wild-caught and farm-raised P. expansa, suggesting that farming may not reduce Hg exposure to humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Eggins
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Larissa Schneider
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Frank Krikowa
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Richard C Vogt
- Coordenacao de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquistas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Ronis Da Silveira
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - William Maher
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Burd BJ, Macdonald TA, Macdonald RW, Ross PS. Distribution and uptake of key polychlorinated biphenyl and polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners in benthic infauna relative to sediment organic enrichment. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2014; 67:310-334. [PMID: 24699838 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-014-0017-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
As part of a broader study of budgets, transport, and bioaccumulation of persistent organic contaminants in the Strait of Georgia, Canada, matching samples of sediment and bulk benthos were collected near two marine sewage outfalls, two large urban harbours, and background areas. Samples were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners. We present data for those congeners that fell within the top six rankings by concentration (23 PCBs and 10 PBDEs) within at least one of the environmental media measured in other studies (air, water, sediments, benthos, pelagic biota). Multifactor regression analyses incorporating sediment characteristics (total organic carbon, fines) predicted uptake (r (2) = 0.74 to 0.98, p < 0.04) over the range of congeners and habitats examined. PBDEs were taken up by biota more readily than PCBs, suggesting a large, potentially available biological reservoir of PBDEs in sediments. Dominant congeners in benthos comprised PBDEs 47, 99, 209, and 100 and PCBs 138/163, 153, 101, 118, and 110. PBDE uptake was anomalously high near one wastewater outfall, likely due to selective feeding on PBDE-enriched particulates from that source. Conversely, outfalls supply food and sediments with PCB concentrations similar to ambient sediments. However, organic enrichment of sediments near outfalls clearly enhanced PCB uptake by benthos, probably due to greatly increased biomass turnover near these sources. Data suggest there to be an initial reservoir of PCBs in newly settled juvenile benthos, which is much less evident for PBDEs. This is likely a consequence of the ecosystem-wide distribution of legacy PCBs but not the more current-use PBDEs. Congener-uptake patterns were dependent on source and input dynamics, feeding methods, and contaminant metabolism or debromination, particularly of deca-BDE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brenda J Burd
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, Canada,
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Harding JMS, Reynolds JD. From earth and ocean: investigating the importance of cross-ecosystem resource linkages to a mobile estuarine consumer. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00029.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
8
|
Formigaro C, Henríquez-Hernandez LA, Zaccaroni A, Garcia-Hartmann M, Camacho M, Boada LD, Zumbado M, Luzardo OP. Assessment of current dietary intake of organochlorine contaminants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in killer whales (Orcinus orca) through direct determination in a group of whales in captivity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 472:1044-1051. [PMID: 24345864 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Revised: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We determined the levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 19 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the plasma of captive adult killer whales and in their food. The goal of this research was the assessment of the dietary exposure of killer whales to these pollutants to gain insight on what is the actual magnitude of the exposure in this species, which is considered among the most contaminated in the planet. Plasma median ∑OCP and ∑PCB contents were 3150.3 and 7985.9 ng g(-1)l.w., respectively. A total of 78.9% of the PCBs were marker-PCBs, and 21.1% were dioxin-like PCBs (6688.7 pg g(-1)l.w. dioxin toxic equivalents). This is the first report of the blood levels of PAHs in killer whales, and their median value was 1023.1 ng g(-1)l.w. In parallel, we also determined the levels of these contaminants in the fish species that are used to feed these animals to estimate the orcas' average daily dietary intake of pollutants. All the contaminants in the fish were detected in the plasma of the killer whales, and proportionality between the intake and the blood levels was observed in all the animals. The calculated intake was extremely high for certain contaminants, which is a concern, giving a glimpse of what possibly occurs in the wild, where exposure to these contaminants can be even higher. Therefore, although many of these chemicals have been banned for decades, even today, the levels of these chemicals could reach very toxic concentrations in the tissues of these endangered animals because of their diet.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Formigaro
- Large Pelagic Vertebrate Group, Veterinary Faculty, University of Bologna, Viale Vespucci 2, Cesenatico (FC), 47042, Italy
| | - Luis A Henríquez-Hernandez
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Plaza Dr. Pasteur, s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Annalisa Zaccaroni
- Large Pelagic Vertebrate Group, Veterinary Faculty, University of Bologna, Viale Vespucci 2, Cesenatico (FC), 47042, Italy
| | - Manuel Garcia-Hartmann
- Marineland Antibes Conservation Research Center (CRC), 306 Avenue Mozart, Antibes 06600, France
| | - María Camacho
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Plaza Dr. Pasteur, s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Luis D Boada
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Plaza Dr. Pasteur, s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Manuel Zumbado
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Plaza Dr. Pasteur, s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Octavio P Luzardo
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Plaza Dr. Pasteur, s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|