PARENT SESSION

IP09 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
B113 & B114
1:20 PM - 4:40 PM, Wednesday

(IP076) Bioaccumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Eastern Hudson's Bay Beluga Whales (Delpinapterus leucas).

Kelly, B¹, Blair, J², Ikonomou, M², Gobas, F¹, ¹ Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada² Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Sidney, BC, Canada

ABSTRACT- Concentrations of various organic contaminants (ranging in octanol-water partition coefficients or Kow's between 10^1.6 to 10¹²), including PCBs, DDTs and several new chemicals of emerging concerns such as phthalate esters (PEs), synthetic musk fragrances (MKs), PBDEs and various "current-use" pesticides were quantified in field-collected terrestrial vegetation: including lichens (Cladina rangiferina), marine sediments, mussels, fish: arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), capelin (Mallotus villosus), sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpioides), estuarine salmonids Salmo salar and Salmo trutta and tissues' of Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from eastern Hudson's Bay in Canada's eastern Arctic region (53° 59' N, 76° 32' W) using high-resolution gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (HRGC/MS). Lipid corrected bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for fish species increased from 10³ to 10¹¹ over the Kow range (10⁶ to 10¹⁰). BAFs in beluga whales (C_B/C_AIR) were shown to increase substantially from 10⁹ to 10¹⁴ with increasing octanol-air partition coefficient (Koa). PCB153 and 180 exhibited the greatest biomagnification factors (BMF), approximately 50 in beluga whales (blubber/cod). Candidate POPs, including phthalate esters and synthetic musks exhibited substantially lower BAFs and BMFs in beluga whales than expected based on physical-chemical properties, indicating metabolic transformation of those compounds by beluga whales. The results also indicate that, in contrast to aquatic organisms, relatively hydrophilic (Kow < 10⁵) but high Koa compounds such as chlorobenzenes (CBz), bromobenzenes (BBz), beta hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH), Tris (chlorophenyl) methanol (TCPMeOH) and endosulfan, can substantially biomagnify (i.e., BMFs >> 1) and persist in air-breathing homeotherms such as beluga whales. We conclude that it is imperative that chemicals with high Koa are included in current PBT evaluations of POPs.

Key words: POPs, biomagnification, beluga whales, arctic