Publication
Title
Inter-species differences for polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in marine top predators from the Southern North Sea: part 2: biomagnification in harbour seals and harbour porpoises
Author
Abstract
Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) were found to differ in the ability to metabolize polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Biomagnification factors (BMFs), calculated between both predators and their prey (sole Solea solea and whiting Merlangius merlangus), had a large range of variation (between 0.5 and 91 for PCBs and between 0.6 and 53 for PBDEs). For the higher chlorinated PCBs and the highest brominated PBDEs, the BMF values in adult males were significantly higher than in the juvenile individuals of both species. BMF values of hexa- to octa-PCBs were the highest, suggesting reduced ability to degrade these congeners. Harbour porpoises had higher BMFs for lower chlorinated PCBs and for all PBDEs compared to harbour seals. Other factors, which may influence biomagnification, such as the octanolwater partition coefficients and the trophic level position measured through stable isotope (ä15N) analysis, were found to be of lesser importance to predict biomagnification in the studied food chain. Harbour porpoises and harbour seals present differences in the biomagnification of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Environmental pollution. - London, 1987, currens
Publication
London : 2009
ISSN
0269-7491 [print]
1873-6424 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2008.09.025
Volume/pages
157 :2 (2009) , p. 445-451
ISI
000262971900014
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 05.12.2008
Last edited 25.05.2022
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