Unpublished conference/Abstract (Scientific congresses and symposiums)
POPs in free-ranging pilot whales and sperm whales from the Mediterranean Sea: influence of ecological factors
Pinzone, Marianna; Tasciotti, Aurelie; Ody, Denis et al.
201421st Benelux Congress of Zoology
 

Files


Full Text
Marianna Pinzone_abs.pdf
Publisher postprint (1.79 MB)
Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
chemical tracer; biopsy; trophic level; toxicity; Northwestern Mediterranean Sea
Abstract :
[en] The pilot whale Globicephala melas and the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus are large toothed whales, which permanently inhabit the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, where they feed mainly on cephalopods. Here they are subjected to numerous anthropogenic threats such as exposure to high levels of contaminants. Selected persistent organic pollutants POPs (29PCBs, 15 organochlorine compounds, 9 PBDEs and 17 PCDD/Fs) were analyzed in blubber biopsies of 49 long-finned pilot whales and 61 sperm whales sampled in NWMS from 2006 to 2013. δ13C, δ15N values and POPs levels were assessed through IR-MS and GC-MS respectively. To assess the toxic potency of the dioxin-like compounds, the TEQ approach was applied. δ15N values were 12.2±1.3‰ for sperm whales and 10.5±0.7‰ for pilot whales, positioning sperm whales at higher trophic levels. δ13C instead was similar and amounted to −17.3±0.4‰ and −17.8±0.3‰ respectively. Pilot whales presented higher concentrations than sperm whales for ΣPCBs (38666±25731ng.g-1 lw and 22849±15566ng.g-1 lw respectively), ΣPBDEs (712±412ng.g-1 lw and 347±173ng.g-1 lw respectively) and ΣDDTs (46081±37506ng.g-1 lw and 37647±38518ng.g-1 lw respectively). Each species was characterized by large inter-individual variations that could probably be more related to sex than trophic level, with males presenting higher contaminant burden than females. The PCA analysis confirmed how p,p’DDT and p,p’DDE were influential in differentiating the two species, as a consequence of their migratory behavior and distribution. Pollutant concentrations of our species were significantly higher than both their Southern Hemisphere and North Atlantic counterparts, possibly due to the particular Mediterranean geomorphology, which influences pollutants distribution and recycle. Dioxin-like PCBs accounted for over 80% of the total TEQ. This study demonstrated (1) an important exposure to pollutants of Mediterranean toothed-whales, often surpassing the estimated threshold toxicity value of 17000ng.g−1 for blubber in marine mammals1; and (2) how the final pollutant burden in these animals is strongly influenced by numerous ecological factors.
Research center :
MARE - Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - ULiège
CART - Centre Interfacultaire d'Analyse des Résidus en Traces - ULiège
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Author, co-author :
Pinzone, Marianna  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > chercheur libre sciences
Tasciotti, Aurelie;  WWF-France > 6 Rue des Fabres, 13001 Marseille
Ody, Denis;  WWF-France > 6 Rue des Fabres, 13001 Marseille
Lepoint, Gilles  ;  Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanologie
Scholl, Georges ;  Université de Liège > Center for Analytical Research and Technology (CART)
Thomé, Jean-Pierre ;  Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Ecologie animale et écotoxicologie
Budzinski, Hélène;  University of Bordeaux I > ISM/LPTC, Laboratory of physical and chemical chemistry > 351 Cours de la Libération, 33405, Bordeaux, France
Tapie, Natalie;  University of Bordeaux I > ISM/LPTC, Laboratory of physical and chemical chemistry > 351 Cours de la Libération, 33405, Bordeaux, France
Eppe, Gauthier  ;  Université de Liège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie analytique inorganique
Das, Krishna  ;  Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanologie
Language :
English
Title :
POPs in free-ranging pilot whales and sperm whales from the Mediterranean Sea: influence of ecological factors
Publication date :
13 December 2014
Number of pages :
92
Event name :
21st Benelux Congress of Zoology
Event organizer :
Royal Belgian Zoological Society (RBZS)
Royal Dutch Zoological Society (RDZS)
Event place :
Liege, Belgium
Event date :
from 12-12-2014 to 13-12-2014
Audience :
International
References of the abstract :
Jepson P.D., Bennet P.M., Deaville R., Allchin C.R., Baker J.R. and Law R.J., Relationship between polychlorinated biphenyls and health status in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded in the United Kingdom, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 24 (1), 2005, 238–248.
Name of the research project :
Ecotoxicological analysis of three cetaceans species of the Mediterranean Sea
Funders :
Agence de l'eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse [FR]
WWF France - Fonds mondial pour la nature [FR]
Commentary :
This presentation was awarded as "Best Master student Oral Presentation" by the Royal Belgian and Dutch Zoology Society during the 21st Benelux Zoology Conference held in Liège between the 12.12.2014 and 12.12.2014.
Available on ORBi :
since 03 August 2015

Statistics


Number of views
82 (12 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
14 (2 by ULiège)

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi