CONCENTRATION OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPs) IN THREE SPECIES OF BALEEN WHALES IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

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Abstract

<p>Concentrations of PCB congeners and DDT, HCH, HCB and CHL isomers in the blubber of five mature males of each of common minke, sei and Bryde's whales taken by the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the western North Pacific-Phase II (JARPNII) in 2011 were determined. For comparison, concentrations of these compounds in the blubber of five mature male Antarctic minke whales taken by the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic-Phase II (JARPAII) in 2010/11 in the Pacific sector of the Antarctic were also determined. Concentrations of PCBs were highest among organochlorines in the whales from the western North Pacific, and were much higher than PCBs concentrations in the Antarctic minke whales. Concentrations of HCB, DDTs and CHLs in Antarctic minke whales were higher or of the same order as North Pacific sei and Bryde's whales but much lower than those in North Pacific common minke whales. Differences are explained by the different trophic levels of the species and or the source of the pollutants. The accumulation of detectable 112 PCB congeners in the whale blubber samples was investigated by principal component analysis (PCA). Two significant factors, in which 72.5% (PC1) and 8.5% (PC2) of the total variance in the data were found. These were attributed to possible trophic level and pollution sources. The main component isomers from pesticide products originating in DDTs and HCHs were comparatively lower, although high levels of trans-chlordane contained in an insecticide were not detected in the whales from the western North Pacific. These results suggest that in the western North Pacific, a great deal of time has passed since the release of DDTs, HCHs and CHLs into the environment.</p>

Journal

  • Cetacean Population Studies

    Cetacean Population Studies 2 (1), 39-53, 2020-06-30

    Publication Committee for Cetacean Population Studies

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