Influence of Life-History Parameters on Persistent Organic Pollutant Concentrations in Blubber of Eastern North Pacific Gray Whales (<i>Eschrichtius robustus</i>).

ABSTRACT: Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can significantly impact marine mammal health, reproduction, and fitness. This study addresses a significant 20-year gap in gray whale contaminant monitoring through analysis of POPs in 120 blubber biopsies. The scope of this substantial sample set is noteworthy in its range and diversity with collection between 2003 and 2017 along North America's west coast and across diverse sex, age, and reproductive parameters, including paired mothers and calves. Mean blubber concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (∑PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (∑DDTs), and chlordanes (∑CHLs) generally decreased since previous reports (1968-1999). This is the first report of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and select hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs)

SUBMITTER: Hayes KRR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9730851 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature