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Evers DC, Ackerman JT, Åkerblom S, Bally D, Basu N, Bishop K, Bodin N, Braaten HFV, Burton MEH, Bustamante P, Chen C, Chételat J, Christian L, Dietz R, Drevnick P, Eagles-Smith C, Fernandez LE, Hammerschlag N, Harmelin-Vivien M, Harte A, Krümmel EM, Brito JL, Medina G, Barrios Rodriguez CA, Stenhouse I, Sunderland E, Takeuchi A, Tear T, Vega C, Wilson S, Wu P. Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024:10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x. [PMID: 38683471 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention's progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | | | - Dominique Bally
- African Center for Environmental Health, BP 826 Cidex 03, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Upsalla, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Bodin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Development Seychelles Fishing Authority, Victoria, Seychelles
| | | | - Mark E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Celia Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Cliamte Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Linroy Christian
- Department of Analytical Services, Dunbars, Friars Hill, St John, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Paul Drevnick
- Teck American Incorporated, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Collin Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Luis E Fernandez
- Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 29106, USA
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazonica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Shark Research Foundation Inc, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, NS, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Mireille Harmelin-Vivien
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS/INSU/IRD, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO), UM 110, Campus de Luminy, case 901, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France
| | - Agustin Harte
- Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Chem. des Anémones 15, 1219, Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eva M Krümmel
- Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, Ottawa, Canada and ScienTissiME Inc, Barry's Bay, ON, Canada
| | - José Lailson Brito
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 4002, CEP 20550-013, Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Medina
- Director of Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean, Hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Iain Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Elsie Sunderland
- Harvard University, Pierce Hall 127, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Akinori Takeuchi
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Health and Environmental Risk Division, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tim Tear
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Claudia Vega
- Centro de Innovaccion Cientifica Amazonica (CINCIA), Jiron Ucayali 750, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, 17001, Peru
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pianpian Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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Tovar LR, Neves MC, Manhães BMR, Montanini G, Azevedo ADF, Lailson-Brito J, Bisi TL. Understanding trophic transference role in mercury biomagnification and bioaccumulation in the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis). CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 338:139496. [PMID: 37451642 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a metal of toxicological importance that occurs naturally. However, its concentration can be affected by anthropogenic activities and has the potential to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in food webs. Thus, knowing how its concentration varies along the trophic levels allows us to understand its potential risks to the biota. The present study aimed to investigate mercury transfer through the Stenella frontalis food web in Ilha Grande Bay (IGB), Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Samples of muscle and liver of S. frontalis were obtained from carcasses (n = 8) found stranded in the IGB, and its potential prey species were collected in fishing landings in the same Bay (n = 145). Total mercury (THg) concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, and the δ15N was determined by an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. To investigate how trophic transfer affects mercury contamination in biota, six linear models were applied between THg logarithmic concentrations and δ15N or trophic position (TP). The trophic magnification factor (TMF) was calculated from each model to estimate the trophic transfer. Mean THg concentration in S. frontalis was higher in the liver than in muscle, but no correlation was found with age and δ15N values. Instead, the hepatic and muscular THg concentrations positively correlated with the trophic position. In the summer, THg concentration, TP, and δ15N values in prey species varied significantly, as well as in the winter, except for THg concentration. All trophic transfer models were significant in both seasons, and the TMF >1. The present study showed that trophic transfer is an essential factor in mercury biomagnification in both seasons but is not the unique driver. Both δ15N and TP could explain mercury trophic transfer, but TP better integrates metabolic diversity and seasonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Rodrigues Tovar
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil.
| | - Mariana Cappello Neves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Bárbara M R Manhães
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Gleici Montanini
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Alexandre de Freitas Azevedo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - José Lailson-Brito
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Lemos Bisi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
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Delgado-Suarez I, Lozano-Bilbao E, Hardisson A, Paz S, Gutiérrez ÁJ. Metal and trace element concentrations in cetaceans worldwide: A review. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 192:115010. [PMID: 37167666 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This bibliographical review is a compilation of different scientific publications that reported data on metal concentrations in the muscle tissue of different species of cetaceans from seas and oceans around the world. Forty-nine scientific articles were selected, published over a fifteen-year period (2006-2021) with data on heavy metals and trace elements. The different groups of cetaceans considered in this study generally presented low concentrations of Cd and Pb. The same cannot be said of Hg. The highest concentrations of Hg were found in the groups of false killer whales. Similarly, the use of these groups of cetaceans as bioindicators of metal contamination shows that the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most metallically contaminated areas in the world. This may be due to the closed nature of the Mediterranean Sea and to the fact that it is also a highly populated and industrialized area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indira Delgado-Suarez
- Toxicology Area, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, University of La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Enrique Lozano-Bilbao
- Toxicology Area, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, University of La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Arturo Hardisson
- Toxicology Area, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, University of La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Soraya Paz
- Toxicology Area, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, University of La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ángel J Gutiérrez
- Toxicology Area, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, University of La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
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Cugler de Pontes G, Vicente MDC, Kasper D, Machado WT, Wasserman JC. Spatial distribution of total mercury and methylmercury in the sediment of a tropical coastal environment subjected to heavy urban inputs. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 312:137067. [PMID: 36397303 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Jurujuba Cove is located in Guanabara Bay (adjacent to highly populated city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), which receives diffuse sources of contaminants along with two main freshwater inputs (the Cachoeira and Icaraí rivers), and hosts mussel farms. The main goal of this work was to evaluate the total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations distributions in the sediments of the cove and their associations with physical and chemical parameters, thereby assessing their geochemical behavior. Twenty samples of surface sediments were collected and characterized for grain size, pH, redox potential, organic carbon, total phosphorus, THg and MeHg. Spatial distribution maps were produced for each parameter and a principal components analysis was carried out, to assess THg and MeHg behavior and their relationships with other parameters. The principal components analysis showed that grain size functions as the main diluting agent. The highest THg concentrations were observed in the mussel-farm area (656.1 ng g-1), and were related to fine grain size and elevated organic carbon values. High MeHg concentrations also occurred in the center of the cove, probably favored by high organic carbon content (low-energy environment). Total phosphorus concentrations indicate that Cachoeira River is a possible source of sewage, but little mercury seems to come from it. The results showed that although total mercury concentrations are elevated, with exception of a few locations, small methylmercury convertion rates were recorded in the sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Cugler de Pontes
- Post-Graduation Program in Geochemistry, University Federal Fluminense, Outeiro São João Baptista s/n - Centro - Niterói, RJ. CEP, 24020-141. Brazil.
| | - Murilo de Carvalho Vicente
- Post-Graduation Program in Geochemistry, University Federal Fluminense, Outeiro São João Baptista s/n - Centro - Niterói, RJ. CEP, 24020-141. Brazil.
| | - Daniele Kasper
- Laboratory of Tracers Applied to Environmental Science Wolfgang Christian Pfeiffer; Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, University Federal of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Bloco G - Cidade Universitária - Ilha do Fundão, CEP: 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil.
| | - Wilson Thadeu Machado
- Post-Graduation Program in Geochemistry, University Federal Fluminense, Outeiro São João Baptista s/n - Centro - Niterói, RJ. CEP, 24020-141. Brazil.
| | - Julio Cesar Wasserman
- Post-Graduation Program in Geochemistry, University Federal Fluminense, Outeiro São João Baptista s/n - Centro - Niterói, RJ. CEP, 24020-141. Brazil.
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Whalers in “A Post-Whaling World”: Sustainable Conservation of Marine Mammals and Sustainable Development of Whaling Communities—With a Case Study from the Eastern Caribbean. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14148782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The sustainable conservation of marine mammals depends not only upon considerations made for the marine mammals themselves. In many parts of the world, human societies have developed a deep reliance upon marine mammals as a food source. The sustainability and the equitable, sustainable development of these communities should be considered alongside efforts to conserve the marine mammals upon which people rely. As an example of the complexity inherent to simultaneous efforts on both fronts, this paper reviews and synthesizes two lines of research related to a small-scale whaling operation for odontocetes (dolphins and toothed whales) based in the Eastern Caribbean. The first considers the patterns of consumption and demand by the local public. The second analyzes the presence of mercury and other environmental contaminants in the tissues of the odontocetes. The results of this synthesis suggest that odontocete-based food products in the Eastern Caribbean are both highly popular and heavily contaminated, thus complicating an already-complex system in need of efforts toward both sustainability and sustainable development. The paper concludes with recommendations for both future research and future policy considerations.
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McCormack MA, Fielding R, Kiszka JJ, Paz V, Jackson BP, Bergfelt DR, Dutton J. Mercury and selenium concentrations, and selenium:mercury molar ratios in small cetaceans taken off St. Vincent, West Indies. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 181:108908. [PMID: 31759648 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study measured the concentration of total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se), and calculated the Se:Hg molar ratios in the muscle, blubber, liver, and kidney of small cetaceans (false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens; killer whale, Orcinus orca; Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus; short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus; and dolphins of the genus Stenella) taken for human consumption off St. Vincent, West Indies. Overall, 122 samples were analyzed; mean THg concentrations (μg/g dry weight) were highest in the liver (730), followed by the kidney (274), muscle (76.4), and blubber (4.57). To explain variability in muscle THg concentrations, carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope ratios were analyzed to explore differences in dietary carbon source and relative trophic position, respectively, among species. There was no relationship between δ15N and THg concentration, but there was a positive relationship between δ13C and THg concentration. On average for each species, the Se:Hg molar ratios were >1 in blubber and <1 in muscle. All liver samples and the majority of kidney, muscle, and blubber samples exceeded the FAO/WHO human consumption advisory level of 1 μg/g wet weight. Based on our estimations, consuming only 6.6 g of muscle a week would exceed the MeHg provisional tolerable weekly intake of 1.6 μg MeHg/kg body weight/week for a 60 kg person. Given the high THg concentration in these cetaceans and the frequency at which these tissues are consumed, this is a potential human health issue that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan A McCormack
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Russell Fielding
- Department of Earth and Environmental Systems, University of the South, Sewanee, TN, 37383, USA.
| | - Jeremy J Kiszka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Coastal Oceans Research, Institute of Water and the Environment, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA.
| | - Valeria Paz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Coastal Oceans Research, Institute of Water and the Environment, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA.
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Don R Bergfelt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.
| | - Jessica Dutton
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
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Di Marzio A, Lambertucci SA, Fernandez AJG, Martínez-López E. From Mexico to the Beagle Channel: A review of metal and metalloid pollution studies on wildlife species in Latin America. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 176:108462. [PMID: 31228806 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Emissions of metals and metalloids (Hg; Cd; Cr; Cu; Pb; Ni; Zn; Fe; Mn; As; Se) generated by natural (e.g., geothermal activity) or anthropic causes (eg., industry or mining) represent a worldwide contamination problem, especially in developing countries. Exposure to high concentrations of these elements is harmful to living beings, including humans. Information on this type of contamination is scarce and fragmented, limiting research which could benefit from these data. To know the state of the research, we reviewed the studies of environmental pollution by metals and metalloids carried out on animal species in Latin America. The use of animals as biomonitors of contamination by metals and metalloids is a continuously expanding practice that allows for early detection of problems. With this work, we were able to identify the most studied areas in Latin America (Amazon, Gulf of California, coastal area between Rio de Janeiro and Florianopolis and River Plate Estuary). Moreover, we provide information on the most studied metals (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) and wild species, which evidence the use of endangered species. The data reviewed should help researchers to direct their efforts towards sparsely researched areas and facilitate bibliographic consultation of scientific information on exposure to metals and metalloids in Latin America.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Di Marzio
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - S A Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional Del Comahue), Bariloche, Argentina
| | - A J Garcia Fernandez
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - E Martínez-López
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
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Méndez-Fernandez P, Taniguchi S, Santos MCO, Cascão I, Quérouil S, Martín V, Tejedor M, Carrillo M, Rinaldi C, Rinaldi R, Montone RC. Contamination status by persistent organic pollutants of the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) at the metapopulation level. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 236:785-794. [PMID: 29459333 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is an endemic species of the tropical-temperate Atlantic Ocean with widespread distribution. Although this species has been the subject of a large number of studies throughout its range, it remains in the "data deficient" category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Chemical pollution by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been listed as one of the major threats to this species, however, there is no information on a wide scale. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the contamination status of spotted dolphins on the metapopulation level as well as determine spatial and temporal variations in POP concentrations and bio-accumulation. A total of 115 blubber samples collected from a large part of the Atlantic basin were analysed for PCBs, DDTs, PBDEs, chlordanes, HCB and mirex. Although PCBs and DDTs were the predominant compounds in all areas, inter-location differences in POP concentrations were observed. Dolphins found at São Paulo, southeastern coast of Brazil, had the highest PCB concentrations (median: 10.5 μg/g lw) and Canary Islands dolphins had the highest DDT concentrations (median: 5.13 μg/g lw). Differences in PCB patterns among locations were also observed. Dolphins from the Azores and São Paulo demonstrated a similar pattern, with relatively highly contributions of tetra- (6.8 and 5.2%, respectively) and penta-CBs (25.6 and 23.8%, respectively) and lower contributions of hepta-CBs (20.8 and 23.5%, respectively) in comparison to other areas. Moreover, the sex of the animals and the year in which sampling or capture occurred exerted an important influence on the majority of the POPs analysed. Comparisons with toxicity thresholds available in the literature reveal that the São Paulo and Canary Island dolphins are the most vulnerable populations and should be considered in future conservation and management programs for the Atlantic spotted dolphin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Méndez-Fernandez
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-120, Brazil.
| | - Satie Taniguchi
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-120, Brazil
| | - Marcos C O Santos
- Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-120, Brazil
| | - Irma Cascão
- Department of Oceanography and Fisheries & Okeanos Centre, University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal; Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - Sophie Quérouil
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISE-M), IRD-UMR226, Université de Montpellier, CCO65, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Vidal Martín
- Sociedad para el Estudio de Cetáceos del Archipiélago Canario (SECAC), Casa de los Arroyo, Avda. Coll n.6, 35500 Arrecife, Lanzarote, Spain
| | - Marisa Tejedor
- Sociedad para el Estudio de Cetáceos del Archipiélago Canario (SECAC), Casa de los Arroyo, Avda. Coll n.6, 35500 Arrecife, Lanzarote, Spain
| | - Manuel Carrillo
- Tenerife Conservación, C/Maya No. 8, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Carolina Rinaldi
- Association Evasion Tropicale, 1 Rue des Palétuviers, Pigeon Bouillante, 97125, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Renato Rinaldi
- Association Evasion Tropicale, 1 Rue des Palétuviers, Pigeon Bouillante, 97125, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Rosalinda C Montone
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-120, Brazil
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