Article (Scientific journals)
Spatial variation in the accumulation of POPs and mercury in bottlenose dolphins of the Lower Florida Keys and the coastal Everglades (South Florida)
Damseaux, France; Kiszka, J.; Heithaus, M.R. et al.
2017In Environmental Pollution, 220, p. 577-587
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
2017 EP Damseaux.pdf
Publisher postprint (905.24 kB)
Download

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
Tursiops truncatus; mercury; OHCs; Dioxin-like compounds; South Florida; pollutants; marine mammals
Abstract :
[en] The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is an upper trophic level predator and the most common cetacean species found in nearshore waters of southern Florida, including the Lower Florida Keys (LFK) and the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE). The objective of this study was to assess contamination levels of total mercury (T-Hg) in skin and persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, PBDEs, DDXs, HCHs, HCB, Σ PCDD/Fs and Σ DL-PCBs) in blubber samples of bottlenose dolphins from LFK (n = 27) and FCE (n = 24). PCBs were the major class of compounds found in bottlenose dolphin blubber and were higher in individuals from LFK (Σ 6 PCBs LFK males: 13421 ± 7730 ng.g-1 lipids, Σ 6 PCBs LFK females: 9683 ± 19007 ng.g-1 lipids) than from FCE (Σ 6 PCBs FCE males: 5638 ng.g-1 ± 3627 lipids, Σ 6 PCBs FCE females: 1427 ± 908 ng.g-1 lipids). These levels were lower than previously published data from the southeastern USA. The Σ DL-PCBs were the most prevalent pollutants of dioxin and dioxin like compounds (Σ DL-PCBs LFK: 739 ng.g-1 lipids, Σ DL-PCBs FCE: 183 ng.g-1 lipids) since PCDD/F concentrations were low for both locations (mean 0.1 ng.g-1 lipids for LFK and FCE dolphins). The toxicity equivalences of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs expressed as TEQ in LFK and FCE dolphins is mainly expressed by DL-PCBs (81% LFK - 65% FCE). T-Hg concentrations in skin were significantly higher in FCE (FCE median 9314 ng.g-1 dw) compared to LFK dolphins (LFK median 2941 ng.g-1 dw). These bottlenose dolphins concentrations are the highest recorded in the southeastern USA, and may be explained, at least partially, by the biogeochemistry of the Everglades and mangrove sedimentary habitats that create favourable conditions for the retention of mercury and make it available at high concentrations for aquatic predators.
Research center :
MARE - Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - ULiège
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Damseaux, France ;  Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanographie biologique
Kiszka, J.
Heithaus, M.R.
Scholl, Georges ;  Université de Liège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Center for Analytical Research and Technology (CART)
Eppe, Gauthier  ;  Université de Liège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie analytique inorganique
Thomé, Jean-Pierre ;  Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Ecologie animale et écotoxicologie
Lewis, J.
Hao, Wensi
Fontaine, M.C.
Das, Krishna  ;  Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanographie biologique
Language :
English
Title :
Spatial variation in the accumulation of POPs and mercury in bottlenose dolphins of the Lower Florida Keys and the coastal Everglades (South Florida)
Publication date :
January 2017
Journal title :
Environmental Pollution
ISSN :
0269-7491
eISSN :
1873-6424
Publisher :
Elsevier Science, Oxford, United Kingdom
Volume :
220
Pages :
577-587
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Name of the research project :
Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Program (DBI0620409, DEB9910514, DRL0959026); Florida International University’s Marine Sciences Program
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
NSF - National Science Foundation [US-VA]
Available on ORBi :
since 04 October 2016

Statistics


Number of views
229 (38 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
804 (16 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
25
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
20
OpenCitations
 
21

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi