University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA.
Sci Total Environ. 2011 May 1;409(11):2094-101. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.01.052. Epub 2011 Feb 26.
Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are apex predators in coastal southeastern U.S. waters; as such they are indicators of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal ecosystems. POP concentrations measured in a dolphin's blubber are influenced by a number of factors, including the animal's sex and ranging pattern in relation to POP point sources. This study examined POP concentrations measured in bottlenose dolphin blubber samples (n=102) from the Georgia, USA coast in relation to individual ranging patterns and specifically, distance of sightings from a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) point source near Brunswick, Georgia. Dolphin ranging patterns were determined based upon 5years of photo-identification data from two field sites approximately 40km apart: (1) the Brunswick field site, which included the Turtle/Brunswick River Estuary (TBRE), and (2) the Sapelo field site, which included the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR). Dolphins were categorized into one of three ranging patterns from photo-identification data. Individuals with sighting histories exclusively within one of the defined field sites were considered to have either Brunswick or Sapelo ranging patterns. Individuals sighted in both field sites were classified as having a Mixed ranging pattern. Brunswick males had the highest concentrations of PCBs reported for any marine mammal. The pattern of PCB congeners was consistent with Aroclor 1268, a highly chlorinated PCB mixture associated with a Superfund site in Brunswick. PCB levels in Sapelo males were lower than in Brunswick males, but comparable to the highest levels measured in other dolphin populations along the southeastern U.S. Female dolphins had higher Aroclor 1268 proportions than males, suggesting that the highly chlorinated congeners associated with Aroclor 1268 may not be offloaded through parturition and lactation, as easily as less halogenated POPs. Individuals sighted farther from the Superfund point source had lower Aroclor 1268 proportions.
宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）是美国东南部沿海地区的顶级掠食者；因此，它们是沿海生态系统中持久性有机污染物（POPs）的指标。海豚体内的脂肪中测量到的 POP 浓度受到多种因素的影响，包括动物的性别以及与 POP 点源的关系。本研究调查了美国佐治亚州沿海地区的宽吻海豚脂肪样本中测量到的 POP 浓度（n=102）与个体活动范围的关系，特别是与佐治亚州不伦瑞克附近多氯联苯（PCB）点源的距离。海豚的活动范围是根据两个相距约 40 公里的野外地点的 5 年照片识别数据确定的：（1）不伦瑞克野外地点，包括海龟/不伦瑞克河口（TBRE），和（2）萨佩洛野外地点，包括萨佩洛岛国家河口研究保护区（SINERR）。根据照片识别数据，海豚被分为三种活动范围之一。仅在一个定义的野外地点有目击历史的个体被认为具有不伦瑞克或萨佩洛的活动范围。在两个野外地点都有目击记录的个体被归类为具有混合活动范围。具有目击记录的雄性海豚体内的 PCB 浓度报告为任何海洋哺乳动物中最高的。PCB 同系物的模式与 Aroclor 1268 一致，Aroclor 1268 是一种与不伦瑞克超级基金地点相关的高度氯化 PCB 混合物。萨佩洛雄性海豚体内的 PCB 水平低于不伦瑞克雄性海豚，但与美国东南部其他海豚种群中测量到的最高水平相当。雌性海豚体内的 Aroclor 1268 比例高于雄性，这表明与 Aroclor 1268 相关的高度氯化同系物可能不像低卤代 POP 那样容易通过分娩和哺乳而排出体外。距离超级基金点源越远的个体体内的 Aroclor 1268 比例越低。
