Chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica) from Lake Baikal: Levels, patterns, and metabolism
- Ehime Univ., Matsuyama (Japan). Dept. of Life Environment Conservation
- Univ. of Tokyo (Japan). Ocean Research Inst.
Contamination of chlorinated hydrocarbons such as DDTs (DDT and its metabolites), PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), CHLs (chlordane compounds) and HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexanes) was assessed in the blubber of Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica) and their fish diet collected from Lake Baikal in 1992. Higher concentrations of DDTs and PCBs were detected, ranging from 4.9 to 160 {micro}g/g and 3.5 to 64 {micro}g/g on a lipid weight basis, respectively, whereas levels of CHLs and HCHs were approximately one or three orders of magnitude lower than those of DDTs and PCBs. The average of DDTs concentrations in adult male Baikal seals were about an order of magnitude higher than those reported for seals in the North Sea around UK and comparable to grey seal in the Baltic Sea, indicating that Baikal seals are categorized in a highly contaminated group. A positive age dependent accumulation of DDTs, PCBs and CHLs was found in male, while a steady-state was observed in female which attributes to the reproductive transfer, mainly lactation, of these chemicals. On the basis of contaminant burdens in adult seals, it was estimated that adult females transfer about 19% and 14% of their DDT and PCB body burdens to their pups during a reproductive process. Based on the data from isomer specific analysis of PCBs, it can be suggested that Baikal seals have higher capacity to metabolize congeners with vicinal H-atoms in meta, para positions than those of marine mammals.
- OSTI ID:
- 367516
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9640%%262
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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