Occurrence of perfluorooctane sulfonate and other perfluorinated alkylated substances in harbour porpoises from the Black Sea
Van de Vijver, K.I.; Holsbeek, L.; Das, K.; Blust, R.; Joiris, C.R.; De Coen, W.M. (2007). Occurrence of perfluorooctane sulfonate and other perfluorinated alkylated substances in harbour porpoises from the Black Sea. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41(1): 315-320 In: Environmental Science and Technology. American Chemical Society: Easton. ISSN 0013-936X; e-ISSN 1520-5851, more |  |
| Keywords | Anatomical structures > Body organs > Animal organs > Excretory organs > Kidneys
Anatomical structures > Nervous system > Central nervous system > Brain
Aquatic organisms > Marine organisms > Aquatic mammals > Marine mammals
Biological phenomena > Accumulation > Bioaccumulation
Chemical compounds > Organic compounds > Hydrocarbons > Halogenated hydrocarbons > Fluorinated hydrocarbons
Secretory organs > Glands > Exocrine glands > Digestive system > Digestive glands > Liver
Tissues
Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]
MED, Black Sea [Marine Regions]; MED, Ukraine [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Abstract | Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and other perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) were determined in liver, kidney, muscle, brain, and blubber samples of 31 harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena relicta) of different age and sex stranded along the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea. In all individuals and in all tissues, PFOS was the predominant PFAS, accounting for on average 90% of the measured PFAS load. PFOS concentrations were the highest in liver (327 ± 351 ng/g wet wt) and kidney (147 ± 262 ng/g wet wt) tissue, and lower in blubber (18 ± 8 ng/g wet wt), muscle (41 ± 50 ng/g wet wt), and brain (24 ± 23 ng/g wet wt). No significant differences could be determined between males and females, nor between juvenile and adult animals (p > 0.05). Perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorodecanoic acid, perfluoroundecanoic acid, and perfluorododecanoic acid could be detected in liver tissue of approximately 25% of the individuals. Perfluorobutane sulfonate, perfluorobutanoic acid, and perfluorooctanoic acid were not detected in any of the porpoise livers. Although we investigated a potential intraspecies segregation according to the source of prey, using stable isotopes, no statistically significant correlation between PFOS concentrations and stable isotopes could be determined. It is, however, noteworthy that the contamination by PFOS in the Black Sea harbor porpoises is comparable to levels found in porpoises from the German Baltic Sea and from coastal areas near Denmark and, therefore, might pose a threat to this population. |
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