Olsson M, Karlsson B, Ahnland E
Contaminant Research Group, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm.
Sci Total Environ. 1994 Sep 16;154(2-3):217-27. doi: 10.1016/0048-9697(94)90089-2.
Investigations have shown that Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and ringed seal (Phoca hispida) suffer from a disease complex described as a primary lesion in the adrenals causing secondary reactions in various other organs. Studies on historical Baltic grey seal skull bone material show that the prevalence of affected animals started to increase after World War II. The disease complex explains the dramatic decrease in the Baltic grey and ringed seal population during the 1960s and 1970s and is believed to be caused by environmental pollutants. In 1988, about 60% of the harbor seal population (Phoca vitulina) along the Swedish west coast and in the southwestern part of the Baltic died in the PDV epizootic (Phocine Distemper Virus). Whether the course of the epizootic was altered by environmental pollutants is still an open question. Studies on historical harbor seal skull bone material from both the Baltic and the Swedish west coast show that the incidence of skull bone lesions has also increased in these populations since World War II, indicating the presence of unnatural stress factors. After the epizootic, the harbor seal populations both in the Baltic and along the Swedish west coast have increased in number. Chemical analysis of tissues has been performed on the three seal species collected in various areas of the Baltic and the Swedish west coast. The concentrations of 17 metals and non-metal elements, sDDT and PCBs, DDE and PCB methylsulfones, toxaphene, chlordanes, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PCDDs and PCDFs have been determined in selected groups of seals in order to determine spatial, species and age variations in concentrations. Furthermore, healthy animals have been compared to diseased animals. Spatial variation was found mostly within the group of organohalogenated compounds, a group of contaminants where a strong covariation between the various compounds was also found. On the basis of the analytical results as well as the pathological findings on Baltic seals, the group of DDE and PCB methyl sulfones is tentatively suggested to be more important in explaining the disease complex than coplanar structures including dioxins.
调查显示，波罗的海灰海豹（Halichoerus grypus）和环斑海豹（Phoca hispida）患有一种疾病综合症，其特征是肾上腺出现原发性病变，并在其他各种器官引发继发性反应。对历史上波罗的海灰海豹头骨材料的研究表明，受影响动物的患病率在第二次世界大战后开始上升。这种疾病综合症解释了20世纪60年代和70年代波罗的海灰海豹和环斑海豹种群数量的急剧下降，据信是由环境污染物引起的。1988年，瑞典西海岸和波罗的海西南部约60%的港海豹种群（Phoca vitulina）死于海豹瘟热病毒（PDV）疫情。环境污染物是否改变了疫情的进程仍是一个悬而未决的问题。对来自波罗的海和瑞典西海岸的历史港海豹头骨材料的研究表明，自第二次世界大战以来，这些种群中头骨病变的发生率也有所增加，这表明存在非自然压力因素。疫情过后，波罗的海和瑞典西海岸的港海豹种群数量都有所增加。已对在波罗的海和瑞典西海岸不同地区采集的三种海豹进行了组织化学分析。为了确定浓度的空间、物种和年龄差异，已在选定的海豹群体中测定了17种金属和非金属元素、sDDT和PCBs、DDE和PCB甲基砜、毒杀芬、氯丹、多溴二苯醚、PCDDs和PCDFs的浓度。此外，还对健康动物和患病动物进行了比较。空间变化主要出现在有机卤化合物组中，这是一组污染物，其中还发现了各种化合物之间的强共变关系。根据分析结果以及对波罗海豹病理检查的结果，初步认为DDE和PCB甲基砜组在解释这种疾病综合症方面比包括二恶英在内的共面结构更为重要。
