Department of Environmental, Earth and Physical Sciences, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy.
Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry, CSIC. Juan de la Cierva, 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Feb 25;653:1417-1425. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.436. Epub 2018 Nov 3.
Numerous studies to date have reported concentrations of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in different marine mammal species worldwide. Yet data on sperm whales are scarce from rich and unique biodiverse areas such as the Mediterranean Sea. This work aimed to assess levels of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) in blubber of sperm whales stranded along the Italian coast between 2008 and 2016. POP mean concentrations (dl-PCBs: 6410 ng/g l.w.; PBDEs: 612 ng/g l.w.; PCDD/Fs: 57.8 pg/g l.w.) were mostly in line with what has been previously reported on the same species in the Mediterranean environment and tended to be higher than those reported from other geographical regions. The relative abundance followed the order dl-PCBs > PBDEs ≫ PCDD/Fs. Interestingly, the non-ortho dl-PCB pattern (126 > 169 > 77) was similar to that described in other studies worldwide and different from what is described in its main prey. This could be linked to particular metabolic activities in sperm whales against these highly toxic contaminants. Total TEQs ranged from 275 to 987 pg/g l.w. and showed the pattern Σnon-ortho-dl-PCBs > Σortho-dl-PCBs > PCDDs > PCDFs, with PCBs' contribution about 96%. These findings highlight the high abundance of PCBs still found in the Mediterranean environment despite having been banned for decades. All sperm whales analyzed in this study surpassed the threshold of 210 pg WHO-TEQ/g l.w. proposed as starting point of immunosuppression in harbour seals; a level of contamination that may have contributed to an impairment of their immune system.
迄今为止，许多研究报告了在全球范围内不同海洋哺乳动物物种中持久性有机污染物 (POPs) 的浓度。然而，来自地中海等生物多样性丰富的地区的抹香鲸的数据却很少。这项工作旨在评估 2008 年至 2016 年间在意大利沿海搁浅的抹香鲸鲸脂中二恶英类多氯联苯 (dl-PCBs)、多溴二苯醚 (PBDEs) 和多氯二苯并对二恶英和呋喃 (PCDD/Fs) 的水平。POP 的平均浓度（dl-PCBs：6410ng/g l.w.；PBDEs：612ng/g l.w.；PCDD/Fs：57.8pg/g l.w.）与在同一地中海环境中对该物种的先前报告基本一致，且往往高于其他地理区域的报告。相对丰度顺序为 dl-PCBs＞PBDEs＞PCDD/Fs。有趣的是，非邻位 dl-PCB 模式（126＞169＞77）与全球其他研究中描述的模式相似，与主要猎物中描述的模式不同。这可能与抹香鲸对这些高度有毒污染物的特殊代谢活动有关。总 TEQ 范围为 275 至 987pg/g l.w.，且表现出Σ非邻位-dl-PCBs＞Σ邻位-dl-PCBs＞PCDDs＞PCDFs 的模式，其中 PCBs 的贡献约为 96%。这些发现突出了尽管已经禁用了几十年，但地中海环境中仍然存在大量 PCB。本研究分析的所有抹香鲸均超过了作为海豹免疫抑制起点的 210pg WHO-TEQ/g l.w.的阈值；这种污染程度可能导致它们的免疫系统受损。
