Simond Antoine E, Houde Magali, Lesage Véronique, Verreault Jonathan
Centre de recherche en toxicologie de l'environnement (TOXEN), Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada.
Environment and Climate Change Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada.
Environ Res. 2017 Jul;156:494-504. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.03.058. Epub 2017 Apr 26.
An exponential level increase of the ubiquitous halogenated flame retardant (HFR) class polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) has been documented during the 1990s in endangered belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE), Eastern Canada. The recent worldwide bans and regulations of PBDE mixtures led to their replacement by alternative HFRs (so-called emerging HFRs) that are increasingly being reported in various environmental compartments. There are, however, limited knowledge on the spatial and temporal trends of PBDEs and emerging HFRs in cetaceans, especially after restrictions on PBDE usage. The first objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of HFRs (35 PBDE congeners and 13 emerging compounds) in the blubber of belugas and minke whales (Balænoptera acutorostrata) found dead in the Estuary or Gulf of St. Lawrence as well as belugas from Nunavik (Canadian Arctic) collected as part of the Inuit subsistence hunt. A second objective was to investigate the trends of HFR concentrations in SLE beluga males between 1997 and 2013. PBDEs were the most abundant HFRs in all three whale populations, while hexabromobenzene (HBB), Chlordene Plus (CPlus), Dechlorane Plus (DP), and Dechlorane 604 Component B (Dec-604 CB) were quantified in the majority of blubber samples. Overall, concentrations of emerging HFRs were notably greater in SLE belugas compared to the two other whale populations, with the exception of DP and Dec-604 CB that were found in greater concentrations in Canadian Arctic belugas. No significant trend in blubber PBDE concentrations was found in SLE belugas during this 17-year period. This suggests that global PBDE regulations are too recent to observe changes in PBDE concentrations in belugas from this highly HFR-exposed environment. In contrast, concentrations of HBB and CPlus in SLE belugas decreased slightly from 1997 to 2013, while DP increased up until 2000 and decreased slightly thereafter. The occurrence and temporal variations of PBDEs and their replacement products in these cetaceans warrant continuous monitoring.
20世纪90年代，在加拿大东部圣劳伦斯河口（SLE）濒危的白鲸（白鲸属）体内，无处不在的卤代阻燃剂（HFR）类多溴二苯醚（PBDE）呈指数级增长。近期，PBDE混合物在全球范围内被禁止使用并受到监管，导致其被替代HFR（所谓的新兴HFR）取代，而新兴HFR在各种环境介质中的报道日益增多。然而，对于鲸类动物体内PBDE和新兴HFR的时空趋势，尤其是在PBDE使用受限之后，人们了解有限。本研究的首要目标是调查在圣劳伦斯河口或海湾发现死亡的白鲸和小须鲸（小须鲸）以及因纽特人维持生计狩猎时捕获的努纳维克（加拿大北极地区）白鲸的鲸脂中HFR（35种PBDE同系物和13种新兴化合物）的存在情况。第二个目标是调查1997年至2013年期间SLE白鲸雄性体内HFR浓度的趋势。PBDE是所有三个鲸类种群中含量最高的HFR，而大多数鲸脂样本中都对六溴苯（HBB）、氯丹混合物（CPlus）、十氯酮（DP）和脱氯甲桥萘604组分B（Dec - 604 CB）进行了定量分析。总体而言，与其他两个鲸类种群相比，SLE白鲸体内新兴HFR的浓度明显更高，但DP和Dec - 604 CB在加拿大北极地区白鲸体内的浓度更高。在这17年期间，未发现SLE白鲸鲸脂中PBDE浓度有显著趋势。这表明全球PBDE法规实施时间太短，无法观察到来自这个高度暴露于HFR环境中的白鲸体内PBDE浓度的变化。相比之下，1997年至2013年期间，SLE白鲸体内HBB和CPlus的浓度略有下降，而DP在2000年之前上升，并在之后略有下降。这些鲸类动物体内PBDE及其替代产品的存在情况和时间变化值得持续监测。
