Back to Search Start Over

PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters

Authors :
Jepson, Paul D.
Deaville, Rob
Barber, Jonathan L.
Aguilar, Alex
Borrell, Asuncion
Murphy, Sinead
Barry, Jon
Brownlow, Andrew
Barnett, James
Berrow, Simon
Cunningham, Andrew A.
Davison, Nicholas J.
ten Doeschate, Mariel
Esteban, Ruth
Ferreira, Marisa
Foote, Andrew D.
Genov, Tilen
Gimenez, Joan
Loveridge, Jan
Llavona, Angela
Martin, Vidal
Maxwell, David L.
Papachlimitzou, Alexandra
Penrose, Rod
Perkins, Matthew W.
Smith, Brian
de Stephanis, Renaud
Tregenza, Nick
Verborgh, Philippe
Fernandez, Antonio
Law, Robin J.
Jepson, Paul D.
Deaville, Rob
Barber, Jonathan L.
Aguilar, Alex
Borrell, Asuncion
Murphy, Sinead
Barry, Jon
Brownlow, Andrew
Barnett, James
Berrow, Simon
Cunningham, Andrew A.
Davison, Nicholas J.
ten Doeschate, Mariel
Esteban, Ruth
Ferreira, Marisa
Foote, Andrew D.
Genov, Tilen
Gimenez, Joan
Loveridge, Jan
Llavona, Angela
Martin, Vidal
Maxwell, David L.
Papachlimitzou, Alexandra
Penrose, Rod
Perkins, Matthew W.
Smith, Brian
de Stephanis, Renaud
Tregenza, Nick
Verborgh, Philippe
Fernandez, Antonio
Law, Robin J.
Publication Year :
2016

Abstract

Organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the more persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have well-established dose-dependent toxicities to birds, fish and mammals in experimental studies, but the actual impact of OC pollutants on European marine top predators remains unknown. Here we show that several cetacean species have very high mean blubber PCB concentrations likely to cause population declines and suppress population recovery. In a large pan-European meta-analysis of stranded (n = 929) or biopsied (n = 152) cetaceans, three out of four species:-striped dolphins (SDs), bottlenose dolphins (BNDs) and killer whales (KWs) had mean PCB levels that markedly exceeded all known marine mammal PCB toxicity thresholds. Some locations (e.g. western Mediterranean Sea, south-west Iberian Peninsula) are global PCB "hotspots" for marine mammals. Blubber PCB concentrations initially declined following a mid-1980s EU ban, but have since stabilised in UK harbour porpoises and SDs in the western Mediterranean Sea. Some small or declining populations of BNDs and KWs in the NE Atlantic were associated with low recruitment, consistent with PCB-induced reproductive toxicity. Despite regulations and mitigation measures to reduce PCB pollution, their biomagnification in marine food webs continues to cause severe impacts among cetacean top predators in European seas.

Details

Database :
OAIster
Notes :
English
Publication Type :
Electronic Resource
Accession number :
edsoai.on1233948145
Document Type :
Electronic Resource
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038.srep18573