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Capanni F, Karamanlidis AA, Dendrinos P, Zaccaroni A, Formigaro C, D'Agostino A, Marsili L. Monk seals (Monachus monachus) in the Mediterranean Sea: The threat of organochlorine contaminants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:169854. [PMID: 38185159 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is an emblematic species of conservation concern. Anthropogenic pressures have led to severe population declines and significant fragmentation of the remaining populations. Because of their close relationship with coastal areas, Mediterranean monk seals may be potentially exposed to pollution from agricultural sources, as well as from oil tanker spills. Although monitoring of pollution has long been considered a priority for this species, data on monk seal contamination levels are scarce. In this study, 55 blubber samples of all genders and age classes collected during necropsies (1995-2013) from seals of the Eastern Mediterranean subpopulation were analyzed for organochlorine compounds (OCs), i.e., hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Overall, PCBs > DDTs ≫ PAHs > HCB in all samples. Results showed a significant downward trend over the 19-year period for DDTs and HCB. No marked pattern was found for PAHs, even though relative abundance of cancerogenic PAH fraction rose in recent years. PCB levels in subadult specimens increased noticeably over time despite worldwide ban. Our findings did not suggest recent releases of DDT or new pesticides (e.g., Dicofol) in the environment, but may indicate an improper disposal of ancient storages of PCBs or a remobilization from reservoirs. OC levels exceeded thresholds that are commonly associated with immunosuppression and reproductive impairment in other pinnipeds. Hence, OCs could be responsible of potential toxicological effects in this subpopulation. This study represents the first report on PAH and one of the few reports on OC bioaccumulation in Mediterranean monk seals. Based on the levels found in the blubber of monk seals from the Eastern Mediterranean, and given the known harmful effects associated to the prolonged exposure to these substances and the reduced long-term expectations of species recovery, regular monitoring is advocated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Capanni
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Alexandros A Karamanlidis
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Solomou Str. 18, 10682 Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Dendrinos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Solomou Str. 18, 10682 Athens, Greece
| | - Annalisa Zaccaroni
- Department Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Vespucci 2, 47042 Cesenatico, FC, Italy
| | - Costanza Formigaro
- Department Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Vespucci 2, 47042 Cesenatico, FC, Italy
| | - Antonella D'Agostino
- Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, P.zza S. Francesco 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Letizia Marsili
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario per la Ricerca sui Cetacei (CIRCE), Department of Physical Science, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Strada Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
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Delsmann J, Schmidt B, Oheim R, Amling M, Rolvien T, Siebert U. Bone mineral density and microarchitecture change during skeletal growth in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the German coast. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7196. [PMID: 37137898 PMCID: PMC10156659 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33911-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Across species, the skeletal system shares mutual functions, including the protection of inner organs, structural basis for locomotion, and acting as an endocrine organ, thus being of pivotal importance for survival. However, insights into skeletal characteristics of marine mammals are limited, especially in the growing skeleton. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are common marine mammals in the North and Baltic Seas and are suitable indicators of the condition of their ecosystem. Here, we analyzed whole-body areal bone mineral density (aBMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and lumbar vertebrae by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in neonate, juvenile, and adult harbor seals. Along skeletal growth, an increase in two-dimensional aBMD by DXA was paralleled by three-dimensional volumetric BMD by HR-pQCT, which could be attributed to an increasing trabecular thickness while trabecular number remained constant. Strong associations were observed between body dimensions (weight and length) and aBMD and trabecular microarchitecture (R2 = 0.71-0.92, all p < 0.001). To validate the results of the DXA measurement (i.e., the standard method used worldwide to diagnose osteoporosis in humans), we performed linear regression analyses with the three-dimensional measurements from the HR-pQCT method, which revealed strong associations between the two imaging techniques (e.g., aBMD and Tb.Th: R2 = 0.96, p < 0.0001). Taken together, our findings highlight the importance of systematic skeletal investigations in marine mammals during growth, illustrating the high accuracy of DXA in this context. Regardless of the limited sample size, the observed trabecular thickening is likely to represent a distinct pattern of vertebral bone maturation. As differences in nutritional status, among other factors, are likely to affect skeletal health, it appears essential to routinely perform skeletal assessments in marine mammals. Placing the results in the context of environmental exposures may allow effective measures to protect their populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Delsmann
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529, Hamburg, Germany
- Division of Orthopedics, Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Britta Schmidt
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25746, Büsum, Germany
| | - Ralf Oheim
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Amling
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim Rolvien
- Division of Orthopedics, Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25746, Büsum, Germany.
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Kataoka C, Kashiwada S. Ecological Risks Due to Immunotoxicological Effects on Aquatic Organisms. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8305. [PMID: 34361068 PMCID: PMC8347160 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunotoxic effects of some anthropogenic pollutants on aquatic organisms are among the causes of concern over the presence of these pollutants in the marine environment. The immune system is part of an organism's biological defense necessarily for homeostasis. Thus, the immunotoxicological impacts on aquatic organisms are important to understand the effects of pollutant chemicals in the aquatic ecosystem. When aquatic organisms are exposed to pollutant chemicals with immunotoxicity, it results in poor health. In addition, aquatic organisms are exposed to pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Exposure to pollutant chemicals has reportedly caused aquatic organisms to show various immunotoxic symptoms such as histological changes of lymphoid tissue, changes of immune functionality and the distribution of immune cells, and changes in the resistance of organisms to infection by pathogens. Alterations of immune systems by contaminants can therefore lead to the deaths of individual organisms, increase the general risk of infections by pathogens, and probably decrease the populations of some species. This review introduced the immunotoxicological impact of pollutant chemicals in aquatic organisms, including invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and marine mammals; described typical biomarkers used in aquatic immunotoxicological studies; and then, discussed the current issues on ecological risk assessment and how to address ecological risk assessment through immunotoxicology. Moreover, the usefulness of the population growth rate to estimate the immunotoxicological impact of pollution chemicals was proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chisato Kataoka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura, Gunma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Shosaku Kashiwada
- Department of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura, Gunma 374-0193, Japan;
- Research Centre for Life and Environmental Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura, Gunma 374-0193, Japan
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Bethune E, Schulz-Kornas E, Lehnert K, Siebert U, Kaiser TM. Tooth Microwear Texture in the Eastern Atlantic Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) of the German Wadden Sea and Its Implications for Long Term Dietary and Ecosystem Changes. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.644019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine mammals are increasingly threatened in their habitat by various anthropogenic impacts. This is particularly evident in prey abundance. Understanding the dietary strategies of marine mammal populations can help predict implications for their future health status and is essential for their conservation. In this study we provide a striking example of a new dietary proxy in pinnipeds to document marine mammal diets using a dental record. In this novel approach, we used a combination of 49 parameters to establish a dental microwear texture (DMTA) as a dietary proxy of feeding behaviour in harbour seals. This method is an established approach to assess diets in terrestrial mammals, but has not yet been applied to pinnipeds. Our aim was to establish a protocol, opening DMTA to pinnipeds by investigating inter- and intra-individual variations. We analysed the 244 upper teeth of 78 Atlantic harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina). The specimens were collected in 1988 along the North Sea coast (Wadden Sea, Germany) and are curated by the Zoological Institute of Kiel University, Germany. An increasing surface texture roughness from frontal to distal teeth was found and related to different prey processing biomechanics. Ten and five year old individuals were similar in their texture roughness, whereas males and females were similar to each other with the exception of their frontal dentition. Fall and summer specimens also featured no difference in texture roughness. We established the second to fourth postcanine teeth as reference tooth positions, as those were unaffected by age, sex, season, or intra-individual variation. In summary, applying indirect dietary proxies, such as DMTA, will allow reconstructing dietary traits of pinnipeds using existing skeletal collection material. Combining DMTA with time series analyses is a very promising approach to track health status in pinniped populations over the last decades. This approach opens new research avenues and could help detect dietary shifts in marine environments in the past and the future.
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Jeong Y, Lee Y, Park KJ, An YR, Moon HB. Accumulation and time trends (2003-2015) of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in blubber of finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) from Korean coastal waters. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 385:121598. [PMID: 31732341 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in marine mammals is of great concern and is associated with declining populations. The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in blubber of finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) collected from Korean coastal waters in 2010 and 2015, to assess the concentrations, time trends, and ecotoxicological effects. Among the POPs measured, DDTs were detected at the highest concentrations, followed by PCBs and PBDEs. Significant age- and sex-dependent accumulation of POPs was evident for porpoises collected in 2010, but not for those collected in 2015. This finding may be a function of stabilization of POP concentrations over time. In our study, accumulation patterns of POPs were dependent on consumption patterns and physico-chemical properties of the contaminants, and on the metabolism in the porpoises. Significant reductions of POPs were found between 2003 and 2010, likely reflecting the impact of domestic and global regulation of POPs. However, no changes in most POPs were found between 2010 and 2015, suggesting a trend toward stabilization. Approximately 10 % and 27 % of porpoises exceeded previously proposed threshold levels for PCBs and DDTs, respectively, implying a potential health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunsun Jeong
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngsun Lee
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyum Joon Park
- Cetacean Research Institute (CRI), National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), Ulsan 44780, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Rock An
- National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Seocheon 33662, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Bang Moon
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Trukhin AM, Boyarova MD. Organochlorine pesticides (HCH and DDT) in blubber of spotted seals (Phoca largha) from the western Sea of Japan. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 150:110738. [PMID: 31759636 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In 2014-2019, a total of 31 blubber samples were collected from spotted seals (Phoca largha) in the western Sea of Japan. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography to determine level of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The concentration of hexachlorocyclohexane and its isomers (∑HCH) ranged from 389 to 50,070 ng/g lipid weght; the concentration of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (∑DDT), ranged from 62,720 to 1,110,930 ng/g lipid wt. Transfer of HCH and DDT from mother to pup during pregnancy and lactation was documented. The OCP concentration in blubber of spotted seals from the western Sea of Japan is one to two orders of magnitude higher than in spotted seals inhabiting waters off the Japan coast. Organochlorines detected in the western Sea of Japan likely come from some countries of Southeast Asia still using OCPs in the agriculture sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey M Trukhin
- V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute (POI), Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Science, ul. Baltiyskaya 41, 690043 Vladivostok, Russia.
| | - Margarita D Boyarova
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, ul. Sukhanova 8, 690091 Vladivostok, Russia
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7
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Cossaboon JM, Hoh E, Chivers SJ, Weller DW, Danil K, Maruya KA, Dodder NG. Apex marine predators and ocean health: Proactive screening of halogenated organic contaminants reveals ecosystem indicator species. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 221:656-664. [PMID: 30665094 PMCID: PMC6392016 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.01.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Despite decades-long bans on the production and use of certain chemicals, many halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) are persistent and can bioaccumulate in the marine environment with the potential to cause physiological harm to marine fauna. Highly lipid-rich tissue (e.g., marine mammal blubber) functions as a reservoir for HOCs, and selecting ideal indicator species is a priority for retrospective and proactive screening efforts. We selected five marine mammal species as possible indicators for the Southern California Bight (SCB) and applied a non-targeted analytical method paired with an automated data reduction strategy to catalog a broad range of known, known but unexpected, and unknown compounds in their blubber. A total of 194 HOCs were detected across the study species (n = 25 individuals), 81% of which are not routinely monitored, including 30 halogenated natural products and 45 compounds of unknown structure and origin. The cetacean species (long-beaked common dolphin, short-beaked common dolphin, and Risso's dolphin) averaged 128 HOCs, whereas pinnipeds (California sea lion and Pacific harbor seal) averaged 47 HOCs. We suspect this disparity can be attributed to differences in life history, foraging strategies, and/or enzyme-mediated metabolism. Our results support proposing (1) the long- and short-beaked common dolphin as apex marine predator sentinels for future and retrospective biomonitoring of the SCB ecosystem and (2) the use of non-targeted contaminant analyses to identify and prioritize emerging contaminants. The use of a sentinel marine species together with the non-targeted analytical approach will enable a proactive approach to environmental contaminant monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eunha Hoh
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Susan J Chivers
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - David W Weller
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kerri Danil
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Keith A Maruya
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
| | - Nathan G Dodder
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA; San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.
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8
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Yan HK, Wang N, Wu N, Lin WN. Abundance, Habitat Conditions, and Conservation of the Largha Seal (Phoca largha) During the Past Half Century in the Bohai Sea, China. MAMMAL STUDY 2018. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2017-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Kun Yan
- Department of Transportation Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China, 116026
| | - Nuo Wang
- Department of Transportation Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China, 116026
| | - Nuan Wu
- Department of Transportation Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China, 116026
| | - Wan-ni Lin
- Department of Transportation Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China, 116026
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9
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Pertoldi C, Jensen LF, Alstrup AKO, Munk OL, Pedersen TB, Sonne C, Dietz R, Daugaard-Petersen T, Kortegaard HE, Olsen MT, Hårding KC, Jensen TH. Prevalence of skull pathologies in European harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) during 1981–2014. MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0340-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Reif JS, Schaefer AM, Bossart GD, Fair PA. Health and Environmental Risk Assessment Project for bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from the southeastern USA. II. Environmental aspects. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2017; 125:155-166. [PMID: 28737160 DOI: 10.3354/dao03143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus are the most common apex predators found in coastal and estuarine ecosystems along the southeastern coast of the USA, where these animals are exposed to multiple chemical pollutants and microbial agents. In this review, we summarize the results of investigations of environmental exposures evaluated in 360 free-ranging dolphins between 2003 and 2015. Bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (IRL, n = 246), and coastal waters of Charleston, South Carolina (CHS, n = 114), were captured, given comprehensive health examinations, and released as part of a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional study of individual and population health. High concentrations of persistent organic pollutants including legacy contaminants (DDT and other pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyl compounds) as well as 'emerging' contaminants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, perfluorinated compounds) were detected in dolphins from CHS, with lower concentrations in the IRL. Conversely, the concentrations of mercury in the blood and skin of IRL dolphins were among the highest reported worldwide and approximately 5 times as high as those found in CHS dolphins. A high prevalence of resistance to antibiotics commonly used in humans and animals was detected in bacteria isolated from fecal, blowhole, and/or gastric samples at both sites, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at CHS. Collectively, these studies illustrate the importance of long-term surveillance of estuarine populations of bottlenose dolphins and reaffirm their important role as sentinels for marine ecosystems and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Reif
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
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Sawyna JM, Spivia WR, Radecki K, Fraser DA, Lowe CG. Association between chronic organochlorine exposure and immunotoxicity in the round stingray (Urobatis halleri). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 223:42-50. [PMID: 28153417 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic organochlorine (OC) exposure has been shown to cause immune impairment in numerous vertebrate species. To determine if elasmobranchs exhibited compromised immunity due to high OC contamination along the coastal mainland of southern California, innate immune function was compared in round stingrays (Urobatis halleri) collected from the mainland and Santa Catalina Island. Proliferation and phagocytosis of peripheral blood, splenic, and epigonal leukocytes were assessed. Percent phagocytosis and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) were evaluated by quantifying % leukocytes positive for, and relative amounts of ingested fluorescent E. coli BioParticles. Total cell proliferation differed between sites, with mainland rays having a higher cell concentration in whole blood. ∑PCB load explained significantly higher % phagocytosis in blood of mainland rays, while ∑PCB and ∑pesticide loads described increased splenic % phagocytosis and MFI in the mainland population. Data provides evidence of strong OC-correlated immunostimulation; however, other site-specific environmental variables may be contributing to the observed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Sawyna
- California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA.
| | - Weston R Spivia
- California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| | - Kelly Radecki
- California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| | - Deborah A Fraser
- California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| | - Christopher G Lowe
- California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
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12
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Rosel PE, Wilcox LA, Sinclair C, Speakman TR, Tumlin MC, Litz JA, Zolman ES. Genetic assignment to stock of stranded common bottlenose dolphins in southeastern Louisiana after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Desforges JPW, Sonne C, Levin M, Siebert U, De Guise S, Dietz R. Immunotoxic effects of environmental pollutants in marine mammals. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2016; 86:126-139. [PMID: 26590481 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Due to their marine ecology and life-history, marine mammals accumulate some of the highest levels of environmental contaminants of all wildlife. Given the increasing prevalence and severity of diseases in marine wildlife, it is imperative to understand how pollutants affect the immune system and consequently disease susceptibility. Advancements and adaptations of analytical techniques have facilitated marine mammal immunotoxicology research. Field studies, captive-feeding experiments and in vitro laboratory studies with marine mammals have associated exposure to environmental pollutants, most notable polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals, to alterations of both the innate and adaptive arms of immune systems, which include aspects of cellular and humoral immunity. For marine mammals, reported immunotoxicology endpoints fell into several major categories: immune tissue histopathology, haematology/circulating immune cell populations, functional immune assays (lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis, respiratory burst, and natural killer cell activity), immunoglobulin production, and cytokine gene expression. Lymphocyte proliferation is by far the most commonly used immune assay, with studies using different organic pollutants and metals predominantly reporting immunosuppressive effects despite the many differences in study design and animal life history. Using combined field and laboratory data, we determined effect threshold levels for suppression of lymphocyte proliferation to be between b0.001-10 ppm for PCBs, 0.002-1.3 ppm for Hg, 0.009-0.06 for MeHg, and 0.1-2.4 for cadmium in polar bears and several pinniped and cetacean species. Similarly, thresholds for suppression of phagocytosis were 0.6-1.4 and 0.08-1.9 ppm for PCBs and mercury, respectively. Although data are lacking for many important immune endpoints and mechanisms of specific immune alterations are not well understood, this review revealed a systemic suppression of immune function in marine mammals exposed to environmental contaminants. Exposure to immunotoxic contaminants may have significant population level consequences as a contributing factor to increasing anthropogenic stress in wildlife and infectious disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre W Desforges
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Milton Levin
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany
| | - Sylvain De Guise
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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14
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Byard JL, Paulsen SC, Tjeerdema RS, Chiavelli D. DDT, chlordane, toxaphene and PCB residues in Newport Bay and Watershed: assessment of hazard to wildlife and human health. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2015; 235:49-168. [PMID: 25376114 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-10861-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- James L Byard
- , 11693 Phelps Hill Road, Nevada City, CA, 95959, USA,
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Mahfouz C, Henry F, Jauniaux T, Khalaf G, Amara R. Organochlorines in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the southern North Sea between 2010 and 2013. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2014; 16:2774-2781. [PMID: 25354365 DOI: 10.1039/c4em00490f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
7 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 6 dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDXs) and 8 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in the blubber of 20 harbour porpoises stranded on the coasts of the southern North Sea between 2010 and 2013. The results showed that porpoises that died from infectious diseases displayed significantly higher levels of PCBs in their blubber compared to healthy porpoises that died from physical trauma. ∑7CBs and ∑DDXs were higher in juvenile porpoises compared to adult females. Except for three individuals, PBDE concentrations were below the limit of quantification in the blubber samples treated. In general, levels of PCBs and DDXs obtained in the blubber of porpoises from this study were in the same order of magnitude or even lower than those obtained in the blubber of porpoises stranded along the North East Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea over the period 1987 and 2013. The results of the present study suggest that even if the status of marine pollution has been improved, a continuous long-term contamination by toxic organochlorines over many generations may be observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Mahfouz
- CNRS, National Centre for Marine Sciences, P.O. Box 534, Batroun, Lebanon.
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16
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Imaeda D, Nomiyama K, Kunisue T, Iwata H, Tsydenova O, Amano M, Petrov EA, Batoev VB, Tanabe S. Blood levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and their hydroxylated metabolites in Baikal seals (Pusa sibirica): emphasis on interspecies comparison, gender difference and association with blood thyroid hormone levels. CHEMOSPHERE 2014; 114:1-8. [PMID: 25113177 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated that Baikal seals (Pusa sibirica) are still being exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the population is at risk. In the present study, we measured the residue levels of PCBs and their hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCBs) in the blood of Baikal seals and assessed the impact of OH-PCBs on the thyroid function. Blood concentrations of PCBs and OH-PCBs were in the range of 2.8-130 ng g(-1)wet wt. and 0.71-4.6 ng g(-1)wetwt., respectively. Concentrations of higher-chlorinated OH-PCBs (hexa- to octa-PCBs) were more than 70% to total OH-PCB concentrations, indicating Baikal seals are mostly risked by higher-chlorinated OH-PCBs. High levels of 4OH-CB146 and 4OH-CB187 and low levels of 4OH-CB107/4'OH-CB108 found in Baikal seals were different from those in other phocidae species, suggesting the unique drug-metabolizing enzyme activities and/or contamination sources in this species. Concentrations of some OH-PCBs in males were significantly higher than those in females. These results suggest that these isomers may be preferentially transferred from mother to pup via cord blood. However, concentrations of almost all the isomers were not significantly correlated with the levels of blood total T3 and T4, implying less impact of PCB-related compounds on the thyroid hormone circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Imaeda
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Kei Nomiyama
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
| | - Tatsuya Kunisue
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Hisato Iwata
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Oyuna Tsydenova
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Masao Amano
- Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-cho 1-14, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Evgeny A Petrov
- The Eastern-Siberian Scientific and Production Fisheries Center, "VOSTSIBRYBCENTER", Ulan-Ude, Buryatia 670034, Russia
| | - Valeriy B Batoev
- Baikal Institute of Nature Management, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Ude, Buryatia 670047, Russia
| | - Shinsuke Tanabe
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
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Roman J, Altman I, Dunphy-Daly MM, Campbell C, Jasny M, Read AJ. The Marine Mammal Protection Act at 40: status, recovery, and future of U.S. marine mammals. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1286:29-49. [PMID: 23521536 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Passed in 1972, the Marine Mammal Protection Act has two fundamental objectives: to maintain U.S. marine mammal stocks at their optimum sustainable populations and to uphold their ecological role in the ocean. The current status of many marine mammal populations is considerably better than in 1972. Take reduction plans have been largely successful in reducing direct fisheries bycatch, although they have not been prepared for all at-risk stocks, and fisheries continue to place marine mammals as risk. Information on population trends is unknown for most (71%) stocks; more stocks with known trends are improving than declining: 19% increasing, 5% stable, and 5% decreasing. Challenges remain, however, and the act has generally been ineffective in treating indirect impacts, such as noise, disease, and prey depletion. Existing conservation measures have not protected large whales from fisheries interactions or ship strikes in the northwestern Atlantic. Despite these limitations, marine mammals within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone appear to be faring better than those outside, with fewer species in at-risk categories and more of least concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Roman
- Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
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18
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Greig DJ, Ylitalo GM, Wheeler EA, Boyd D, Gulland FMD, Yanagida GK, Harvey JT, Hall AJ. Geography and stage of development affect persistent organic pollutants in stranded and wild-caught harbor seal pups from central California. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2011; 409:3537-3547. [PMID: 21684582 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2011] [Revised: 05/24/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants have been associated with disease susceptibility and decreased immunity in marine mammals. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), chlordanes (CHLDs), and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) were evaluated in terms of stage of development and likely exposure routes (in utero, suckling, fasting) in the blubber of 202 stranded and wild-caught, primarily young of the year (n=177), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the central California coast. This is the first report of HCH concentrations in the blubber of California seals. Lipid normalized concentrations ranged from 200 to 330,000 ng/g for sum PCBs, 320-1,500,000 ng/g for sum DDTs, 23-63,000 ng/g for sum PBDEs, 29-29,000 ng/g for sum CHLDs, and 2-780 ng/g for sum HCHs. The highest concentrations were observed in harbor seal pups that suckled in the wild and then lost mass during the post-weaning fast. Among the pups sampled in the wild and those released from rehabilitation, there were no differences in mass, blubber depth, or percent lipid although contaminant concentrations were significantly higher in the pups which nursed in the wild. When geographic differences were evaluated in a subset of newborn animals collected near their birth locations, the ratio of sum DDTs to sum PCBs was significantly greater in samples from an area with agricultural inputs (Monterey), than one with industrial inputs (San Francisco Bay). A principal components analysis distinguished between seals from San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay based on specific PCB and PBDE congeners and DDT metabolites. These data illustrate the important influence of life stage, nutritional status, and location on blubber contaminant levels, and thus the need to consider these factors when interpreting single sample measurements in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise J Greig
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA.
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19
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Abstract
Studies of the effects of environmental exposures on domestic and wild animals can corroborate or inform epidemiologic studies in humans. Animals may be sensitive indicators of environmental hazards and provide an early warning system for public health intervention, as exemplified by the iconic canary in the coal mine. This article illustrates the application of animal sentinel research to elucidate the effects of exposure to traditional and emerging contaminants on human health. Focusing on environmental issues at the forefront of current public health research, the article describes exposures to community air pollution, environmental tobacco smoke, and pesticides and associations with cancer, reproductive outcomes, and infectious diseases. Finally, it covers the role of marine mammals in monitoring the health of the oceans and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Reif
- Colorado State University, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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20
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Jauniaux T, Farnir F, Fontaine M, Kiszka J, Sarlet M, Coignoul F. Cytochrome P450 1A1 expression in cetacean skin biopsies from the Indian Ocean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2011; 62:1317-1319. [PMID: 21565363 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2010] [Revised: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The study describes cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYPA1) expression in the skin of different cetacean species (Megaptera novaeangliae, n=15; Stenella attenuata, n=7 and Stenella longirostris, n=24) from the Mozambique Channel island of Mayotte. Immunohistochemical examination was performed with a monoclonal antibody against scup cytochrome CYPA1. The sex was determined using a molecular approach consisting in the genotyping sex-specific genes. CYPA1 was detected at the junction between epidermis and blubber on dolphins only, mostly in the endothelial cells. Similar observation was obtained in the dermis of one M. novaeangliae. Immunohistochemical slides were scored to evaluate the expression of the CYPA1 and a higher expression was observed in S. longirostris, suggesting a higher exposure to pollutants for this species. The difference of expression between sexes was not significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Jauniaux
- Dept. of Pathology, Veterinary College, Sart Tilman B43, University of Liege, Belgium.
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21
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Dufresne MM, Frouin H, Pillet S, Lesage V, De Guise S, Fournier M. Comparative sensitivity of harbour and grey seals to several environmental contaminants using in vitro exposure. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2010; 60:344-349. [PMID: 19945719 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2009] [Revised: 10/19/2009] [Accepted: 10/22/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effects of cadmium chloride (CdCl(2)), mercury chloride (HgCl(2)), methylmercury chloride (CH(3)HgCl), and PCBs on lymphocyte proliferation in phocids. PBMCs isolated from harbour and grey seals were exposed in vitro to varying concentrations of contaminants. A reduction of viability occurred when cells were exposed to 10(-4)M HgCl(2) or CH(3)HgCl or to 50ppm of Aroclor 1254. In both grey and harbour seals, T-lymphocyte proliferation was suppressed when their cells were incubated with 5 x 10(-5)M CdCl(2) or 10(-4)M HgCl(2). An inhibition of proliferation occurred with CH(3)HgCl from 10(-6)M in grey seals and from 10(-5)M in harbour seals. In grey seals, Aroclor 1254 reduced lymphocyte proliferation at 15ppm. In both harbour and grey seals, CH(3)HgCl was ten times more immunotoxic that HgCl(2). From IC(50), chemicals were ranked in terms of toxicity as followed: CH(3)HgCl>CdCl(2)>HgCl(2)>Aroclor 1254.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Dufresne
- Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
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22
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Abstract
Current evidence suggests that Europe's dolphins in the 1990s require urgent action to conserve them. This paper reviews the nature of the threats to these animals and outlines some measures designed to help counter them.
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23
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Thompson B, Adelsbach T, Brown C, Hunt J, Kuwabara J, Neale J, Ohlendorf H, Schwarzbach S, Spies R, Taberski K. Biological effects of anthropogenic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2007; 105:156-74. [PMID: 17166494 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2006.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2005] [Revised: 10/21/2006] [Accepted: 10/23/2006] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of many anthropogenic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary exist at levels that have been associated with biological effects elsewhere, so there is a potential for them to cause biological effects in the Estuary. The purpose of this paper is to summarize information about biological effects on the Estuary's plankton, benthos, fish, birds, and mammals, gathered since the early 1990s, focusing on key accomplishments. These studies have been conducted at all levels of biological organization (sub-cellular through communities), but have included only a small fraction of the organisms and contaminants of concern in the region. The studies summarized provide a body of evidence that some contaminants are causing biological impacts in some biological resources in the Estuary. However, no general patterns of effects were apparent in space and time, and no single contaminant was consistently related to effects among the biota considered. These conclusions reflect the difficulty in demonstrating biological effects due specifically to contamination because there is a wide range of sensitivity to contaminants among the Estuary's many organisms. Additionally, the spatial and temporal distribution of contamination in the Estuary is highly variable, and levels of contamination covary with other environmental factors, such as freshwater inflow or sediment-type. Federal and State regulatory agencies desire to develop biological criteria to protect the Estuary's biological resources. Future studies of biological effects in San Francisco Estuary should focus on the development of meaningful indicators of biological effects, and on key organism and contaminants of concern in long-term, multifaceted studies that include laboratory and field experiments to determine cause and effect to adequately inform management and regulatory decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Thompson
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 7770 Pardee Lane, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA, USA.
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24
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Del Toro L, Heckel G, Camacho-Ibar VF, Schramm Y. California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) have lower chlorinated hydrocarbon contents in northern Baja California, México, than in California, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2006; 142:83-92. [PMID: 16297516 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2005.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2005] [Revised: 09/23/2005] [Accepted: 09/23/2005] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHs) were determined in blubber samples of 18 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus californianus) that stranded dead along Todos Santos Bay, Ensenada, Baja California, México, January 2000-November 2001. Summation operatorDDTs were the dominant group (geometric mean 3.8 microg/g lipid weight), followed by polychlorinated biphenyls ( summation operatorPCBs, 2.96 microg/g), chlordanes (0.12 microg/g) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (0.06 microg/g). The summation operatorDDTs/ summation operatorPCBs ratio was 1.3. We found CH levels more than one order of magnitude lower than those reported for California sea lion samples collected along the California coast, USA, during the same period as our study. This sharp north-south gradient suggests that Z. californianus stranded in Ensenada (most of them males) would probably have foraged during the summer near rookeries 500-1000 km south of Ensenada and the rest of the year migrate northwards, foraging along the Baja California peninsula, including Ensenada, and probably farther north.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligeia Del Toro
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Ensenada, Baja California, México
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25
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Hall AJ, Hugunin K, Deaville R, Law RJ, Allchin CR, Jepson PD. The risk of infection from polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena): a case-control approach. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2006; 114:704-11. [PMID: 16675424 PMCID: PMC1459923 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.8222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine whether the risk of mortality from infectious disease in harbor porpoise in U.K. waters increased with high exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), using a case-control study design. This is the first time that data from a long-term marine mammal strandings scheme have been used to estimate any increase in risk. The exposure odds ratio (OR) from a logistic regression model with infectious disease deaths as cases and physical trauma deaths as controls, after controlling for the effect of confounding factors, was 1.048 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.07]. To further adjust for the difference in energetic status between cases and controls and account for the negative relationship between PCBs (sum of 25 chlorobiphenyl congeners) and blubber mass, we also "standardized" the blubber PCBs to an optimal blubber mass. This lowered the OR to 1.02 (95% CI, 1.00-1.03). Thus, for each 1 mg/kg increase in blubber PCBs, the average increase in risk of infectious disease mortality was 2%. A doubling of risk occurred at approximately 45 mg/kg lipid. In this study, we have endeavored to avoid selection bias by using controls that died of physical trauma as representative of the exposure prevalence in the population that gave rise to the cases. In addition, we controlled for the effect of variation in energetic status among the cases and controls. However, as with case-control studies in human and veterinary epidemiology, unforeseen misclassification errors may result in biased risk estimates in either direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailsa J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom.
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26
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Lyons G. Viewpoint: Policy requirements for protecting wildlife from endocrine disruptors. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2006; 114 Suppl 1:142-6. [PMID: 16818260 PMCID: PMC1874188 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.8070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2005] [Accepted: 08/08/2005] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Man-made endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) present a threat to biodiversity, even in remote areas. To date, numerous wildlife species have been affected by EDCs in the environment, but it is likely that many more species are suffering effects that have not yet been reported. Impaired reproduction, damaged brain function, and deficits of the immune system are of particular concern. In order to bring all endocrine-disrupting chemicals under control, the development of screens and tests to identify EDCs must be expedited. However, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) considers that sufficient information is already available to merit action on several such substances. In addition, it must be recognized that proving the mechanism of action for some chemicals may take decades. Therefore, it is important to enable certain chemicals to be brought under stricter control on the basis of strong suspicion of endocrine disruption or biochemical signaling disruption. Furthermore, the risk assessment process itself also must be modified, and some suggestions are discussed in this article. WWF maintains that any effect that could reasonably be expected to affect the population level should be taken forward in environmental risk characterization, in particular, behavioral effects should be given more consideration. Current chemical management policies are not protective, and we argue for modifications in them to be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwynne Lyons
- World Wildlife Fund UK, Norwich, United Kingdom.
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27
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Garrick RA, Woodin BR, Wilson JY, Middlebrooks BL, Stegeman JJ. Cytochrome P4501A is induced in endothelial cell lines from the kidney and lung of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2006; 76:295-305. [PMID: 16290286 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2005.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2005] [Revised: 10/14/2005] [Accepted: 10/15/2005] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Marine mammals respond to the presence of polycyclic and planar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH or PHAH) with the induced expression in endothelium of cytochrome P4501A1, regulated through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) transcription factor. Physiological responses in other animals, such as edema and inflammation indicate that the endothelium may be compromised by exposure to AHR agonists, which are ubiquitous in the marine environment. In other mammals and fish the cellular and molecular consequences of exposure to AHR agonists have been elucidated in cultured endothelial cells. We have cultured and characterized cetacean endothelial cells (EC) and used them in induction studies. Endothelial cells were cultured from the lung and kidney of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncates, and exposed to the AHR agonists beta-naphthoflavone (betaNF) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). betaNF (1-3 microM) induced significant increases in CYP1A1 (O-deethylation of 7-ethoxyresorufin to resorufin; EROD) activity to 3.6 and 0.92 pmol/mg/min in lung and kidney EC, respectively. TCDD was more potent than betaNF, and more efficacious, with maximum induction of CYP1A1 activity of 10.1 and 15.2 pmol/mg/min in lung and kidney EC at 3-10 nM TCDD. The differential response indicates that the lung and kidney endothelial cells in culture retain the ability to respond in a selective manner to specific stimuli. Both the molecular mechanisms of induction and the physiological consequences, especially in the vasculature, of toxicant exposure can be studied in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Anne Garrick
- Department of Natural Sciences, Fordham University, New York, NY 10023, USA.
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Neale JCC, Kenny TP, Tjeerdema RS, Gershwin ME. PAH- and PCB-induced alterations of protein tyrosine kinase and cytokine gene transcription in harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) PBMC. Clin Dev Immunol 2005; 12:91-7. [PMID: 16050139 PMCID: PMC2270727 DOI: 10.1080/17402520500116624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Mechanisms underlying in vitro immunomodulatory effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated in harbor seal peripheral leukocytes, via real-time PCR. We examined the relative genetic expression of the protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) Fyn and Itk, which play a critical role in T cell activation, and IL-2, a cytokine of central importance in initiating adaptive immune responses. IL-1, the macrophage-derived pro-inflammatory cytokine of innate immunity, was also included as a measure of macrophage function. Harbor seal PBMC were exposed to the prototypic immunotoxic PAH benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-169), a model immunotoxic PCB, or DMSO (vehicle control). Exposure of Con A-stimulated harbor seal PBMC to both BaP and CB-169 produced significantly altered expression in all four targets relative to vehicle controls. The PTKs Fyn and Itk were both up-regulated following exposure to BaP and CB-169. In contrast, transcripts for IL-2 and IL-1 were decreased relative to controls by both treatments. Our findings are consistent with those of previous researchers working with human and rodent systems and support a hypothesis of contaminant-altered lymphocyte function mediated (at least in part) by disruption of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and cytokine production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C C Neale
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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29
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Hammond JA, Hall AJ, Dyrynda EA. Comparison of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) induced effects on innate immune functions in harbour and grey seals. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2005; 74:126-38. [PMID: 15982755 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2005.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2004] [Revised: 05/05/2005] [Accepted: 05/13/2005] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to have detrimental effects on the innate immune system of several mammalian species. Top predators such as marine mammals may be badly affected as PCBs can bioaccumulate in their blubber to high concentrations and previous studies have suggested that harbour seals may be particularly vulnerable to the immunotoxic effects of such contaminants. To investigate the effects of PCBs on innate immune functions in phocid seals, blood samples were collected from harbour and grey seals and exposed in vitro to a mixture of Aroclors. Separated mononuclear (PBMCs) and polymorphonuclear (PMNCs) leukocytes from each species were incubated with Aroclors (at 3 and 30 ngml(-1)) for 3 and 24 h incubation periods, after which phagocytosis, respiratory burst and cytotoxic activity were measured. The phagocytic activity of harbour seal PMNCs was decreased at both incubation times and at both Aroclor concentrations tested, but there was no effect on the grey seals. Similarly, the respiratory burst activity of harbour seals was decreased at both incubation times, but only at the higher concentration used. There were no differences in the cytotoxic activity of the PBMCs with respect to incubation times or concentrations in either species. However, differences were observed in the level of cytotoxic activity against YAC-1 target cells, with the grey seal PBMCs showing higher levels of activity. The observed differences in phagocytosis, respiratory burst and cytotoxic activity of the leukocytes following incubation with PCBs may have implications for the previously recorded differences in disease susceptibility between grey and harbour seals.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Hammond
- School of Life Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
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30
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THOMPSON DAVID, LONERGAN MIKE, DUCK CALLAN. Population dynamics of harbour seals Phoca vitulina in England: monitoring growth and catastrophic declines. J Appl Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01025.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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31
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Neale JCC, Gulland FMD, Schmelzer KR, Harvey JT, Berg EA, Allen SG, Greig DJ, Grigg EK, Tjeerdema RS. Contaminant loads and hematological correlates in the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) of San Francisco Bay, California. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2005; 68:617-33. [PMID: 15901091 DOI: 10.1080/15287390590921748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
An expanding body of research indicates that exposure to contaminants may impact marine mammal health, thus possibly contributing to population declines. The harbor seal population of the San Francisco Bay (SFB), California, has suffered habitat loss and degradation, including decades of environmental contamination. To explore the possibility of contaminant-induced health alterations in this population, blood levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were quantified in free-ranging seals; relationships between contaminant exposure and several key hematological parameters were examined; and PCB levels in the present study were compared with levels determined in SFB seals a decade earlier. PCB residues in harbor seal blood decreased during the past decade, but remained at levels great enough that adverse reproductive and immunological effects might be expected. Main results included a positive association between leukocyte counts and PBDEs, PCBs, and DDE in seals, and an inverse relationship between red blood cell count and PBDEs. Although not necessarily pathologic, these responses may serve as sentinel indications of contaminant-induced alterations in harbor seals of SFB, which, in individuals with relatively high contaminant burdens, might include increased rates of infection and anemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C C Neale
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.
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Lie E, Larsen HJS, Larsen S, Johansen GM, Derocher AE, Lunn NJ, Norstrom RJ, Wiig O, Skaare JU. Does high organochlorine (OC) exposure impair the resistance to infection in polar bears (Ursus maritimus)? Part II: Possible effect of OCs on mitogen- and antigen-induced lymphocyte proliferation. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2005; 68:457-484. [PMID: 15799246 DOI: 10.1080/15287390590903685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported alarmingly high levels of organochlorines (OCs), particularly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus). In this study plasma concentration of PCBs ranged from 14.8 to 200 ng/g wet weight. The aim of the study was to investigate associations between OCs and lymphocyte proliferation after in vitro stimulation with different mitogens and antigens. In 1998 and 1999, 26 and 30 free-ranging polar bears from Svalbard and Churchill, Canada, respectively, were recaptured 32-40 d following immunization with inactivated tetanus toxoid and hemocyanin from keyhole limpets (KLH) to sensitize lymphocytes. At recapture, blood was sampled for determination of plasma levels of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and lymphocyte proliferation after in vitro stimulation with specific mitogens--phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), concanavalin A (Con A), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (PPD)--and antigens: tetanus toxoid and KLH. The combinations of sum(PCBs) (sum of 12 individual PCB congeners), sum(OCPs) (sum of 6 OCPs), and their interactions contributed up to 15% of the variations in the lymphocyte responses. By using multiple regression analyses, followed by classical mathematic function analyses, thresholds for immunomodulation were estimated. Depending on the lymphocyte proliferation response studied, the estimated thresholds for significant immunomodulation were within the concentration ranges 32-89 ng/g wet weight (ww) and 7.8-14 ng/g ww for sum(PCBs) and sum(OCPs), respectively. Thus, this study demonstrated that OC exposure significantly influences specific lymphocyte proliferation responses and part of the cell-mediated immunity, which also is associated with impaired ability to produce antibodies (Lie et al., 2004).
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Ylitalo GM, Stein JE, Hom T, Johnson LL, Tilbury KL, Hall AJ, Rowles T, Greig D, Lowenstine LJ, Gulland FMD. The role of organochlorines in cancer-associated mortality in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2005; 50:30-9. [PMID: 15664031 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2004.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Wild California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) have an unusually high prevalence of neoplasms (18% of stranded dead adults) and high levels of contaminants. The contribution of organochlorine (OC) tissue burdens to the probability of sea lions dying from carcinoma was explored using a logistic regression model. Levels of PCBs and DDTs were determined in blubber of sea lions diagnosed with metastatic carcinoma and animals that had died from non-carcinoma-related incidents (e.g., gunshot, domoic acid poisoning). Animals with carcinoma had higher mean concentrations (based on wet weight) of PCBs and DDTs (more than 85% and 30% higher, respectively) in blubber than did sea lions without carcinoma; the highest concentrations of OCs in the sea lions affected with carcinoma were measured in the males. Blubber thickness was significantly different between the two groups of sea lions, but after controlling for this difference, there was still a significant effect of PCBs, but not DDTs, on the probability of sea lions dying with carcinoma. Age, sex, mass and length did not affect the probability of dying from carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M Ylitalo
- Environmental Conservation Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA.
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Barron MG, Heintz R, Krahn MM. Contaminant exposure and effects in pinnipeds: implications for Steller sea lion declines in Alaska. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2003; 311:111-133. [PMID: 12826388 DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(03)00140-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
After nearly 3 decades of decline, the western stock of Steller sea lions (SSL; Eumetopias jubatus) was listed as an endangered species in 1997. While the cause of the decline in the 1970s and 1980s has been attributed to nutritional stress, recent declines are unexplained and may result from other factors including the presence of environmental contaminants. SSL tissues show accumulation of butyltins, mercury, PCBs, DDTs, chlordanes and hexachlorobenzene. SSL habitats and prey are contaminated with additional chemicals including mirex, endrin, dieldrin, hexachlorocyclohexanes, tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds, cadmium and lead. In addition, many SSL haulouts and rookeries are located near other hazards including radioactivity, solvents, ordnance and chemical weapon dumps. PCB and DDT concentrations measured in a few SSL during the 1980s were the highest recorded for any Alaskan pinniped. Some contaminant exposures in SSL appear to be elevated in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea compared to southeast Alaska, but there are insufficient data to evaluate geospatial relationships with any certainty. Based on very limited blubber data, current levels of PCBs may not pose a risk to SSL based on comparison to immunotoxicity tissue benchmarks, but SSL may have been at risk from pre-1990 PCB exposures. While exposure to PCBs and DDTs may be declining, SSL are likely exposed to a multitude of other contaminants that have not been monitored. The impacts of these exposures on SSL remain unknown because causal effects have not been established. Field studies with SSL have been limited in scope and have not yet linked contaminant exposures to adverse animal health or population effects. Several biomarkers may prove useful for monitoring exposure and additional research is needed to evaluate their utility in SSL. We conclude that there are insufficient data to reject the hypothesis that contaminants play a role in the continued decline of SSL, and suggest that a coordinated monitoring program be developed which can be related to key biological, ecological and laboratory toxicity data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mace G Barron
- P.E.A.K. Research, 1134 Avon Lane, Longmont, CO 80501, USA.
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Beckmen KB, Blake JE, Ylitalo GM, Stott JL, O'Hara TM. Organochlorine contaminant exposure and associations with hematological and humoral immune functional assays with dam age as a factor in free-ranging northern fur seal pups (Callorhinus ursinus). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2003; 46:594-606. [PMID: 12735957 DOI: 10.1016/s0025-326x(03)00039-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Potential effects of organochlorine contaminant (OC) exposure on humoral immune function and health of free-ranging northern fur seals were investigated. Forty-two "neonates" were captured for blood sample collection and re-sampled as "pups" 29-51 days later. OCs were extracted from whole blood to identify polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and chlorinated pesticides by high performance liquid chromatography. Humoral immune function was assessed by antibody responses to vaccination and immunoglobulin concentrations. Additional health status indicators included leukocyte counts and haptoglobin concentrations. Mean OC concentrations were higher in neonates than at recapture. Neonates of young dams had higher mean OC concentrations than neonates of older dams. A higher proportion of old dam's pups developed a twofold or greater increase in antigen-specific antibodies compared to young dam's pups. Higher OC exposure and poor immune responses in first-born pups may indicate a higher risk of secondary morbidity and mortality than pups of multiparous dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberlee B Beckmen
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
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Hobbs KE, Lebeuf M, Hammill MO. PCBs and OCPs in male harbour, grey, harp and hooded seals from the Estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2002; 296:1-18. [PMID: 12398323 DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(01)01074-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Blubber samples from adult male harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from the St Lawrence Estuary, and from grey (Halichoerus grypus), harp (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded (Cystophora cristata) seals from the Gulf of St Lawrence, were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorinated pesticides (OCP). All seals were between 5 and 19 years of age, and mean ages were not statistically different among the seal species. Mean concentrations of sigmaPCB and mirex were significantly higher in harbour seals, while sigmaDDT concentrations were significantly higher in hooded seals than in the other species examined. Harbour and hooded seals had similar concentrations of sigmaCHLOR, which were higher than in grey and harp seals. SigmaHCH concentrations were significantly higher in harp seals than in harbour and hooded seals and they were significantly higher in harbour and grey seals than in hooded seals. Harp and grey seals had similar levels of HCB, which were significantly higher than in either hooded or harbour seals. Patterns of PCB congeners and individual OCPs varied considerably between the four species. In PCA plots harbour, harp and hooded seals were well separated from each other, while grey seals were separated from the other species by a smaller degree. Between species variations may be explained by their dissimilar migratory patterns, habitat use and proximity to sources of industrial and agricultural pollution, their dietary regime (trophic level and individual prey items) as well as possible variations in the seals' abilities to eliminate these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Hobbs
- Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Mont-Joli, QC, Canada
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Aguilar A, Borrell A, Reijnders PJ. Geographical and temporal variation in levels of organochlorine contaminants in marine mammals. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2002; 53:425-452. [PMID: 12054104 DOI: 10.1016/s0141-1136(01)00128-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The interpretation of the spatial and temporal patterns of variation in organochlorine concentrations in marine mammal populations is complex because of the lack of wide-scale, long-term surveys. Therefore the results from several surveys must be combined and this causes undesired heterogeneity due to differences in the sampling and analytical techniques used and in the biological characteristics of the individuals sampled. Moreover, information is not homogeneously distributed in either space or in time. Most research is concentrated in western Europe, northern America and certain areas of Asia, while it is extremely limited or non-existent in Africa and most regions of the southern hemisphere. Marine mammals from the temperate fringe of the northern hemisphere, particularly fish-eating species which inhabit the mid-latitudes of Europe and North America, show the greatest organochlorine loads; noteworthy are the extremely high levels found in the Mediterranean Sea and certain locations on the western coasts of the United States. Concentrations in the tropical and equatorial fringe of the northern hemisphere and throughout the southern hemisphere are low or extremely low. The polar regions of both hemispheres showed the lowest concentrations of DDTs and PCBs, although levels of HCHs, chlordanes and HCB were moderate to high in the cold waters of the North Pacific. During recent decades, concentrations have tended to decrease in the regions where pollution was initially high but they have increased in regions located far from the pollution source as a consequence of atmospheric transport and redistribution. It is expected that the Arctic and, to a lesser extent, the Antarctic, will become major sinks for organochlorines in the future; this process may already be significant for some compounds such as HCB and HCHs. Effort should be devoted to both assessment of organochlorine trends in the now highly polluted populations of the temperate fringe of the northern hemisphere and to the implementation of long-term monitoring of marine mammal populations inhabiting polar regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Aguilar
- Department of Animal Biology and GRUMM, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Spain.
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Bernt KE, Hammill MO, Lebeuf M, Kovacs KM. Levels and patterns of PCBs and OC pesticides in harbour and grey seals from the St Lawrence Estuary, Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 1999; 243-244:243-62. [PMID: 10635597 DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(99)00400-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Blubber samples from harbour (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) captured in the St Lawrence Estuary were analysed for PCBs and OC pesticides. Concentrations of sigma PCB, sigma DDT, sigma CHLOR and mirex were higher in harbour than in grey seals, while sigma HCH and HCB were similar in the two species. Age vs. concentration plots showed that sigma PCB, sigma DDT and sigma CHLOR concentrations increased with age in males, but plateaued at sexual maturity in females. Concentrations of sigma HCH decreased and mirex increased with age for post-weaning animals, regardless of gender. HCB did not show age-related trends. PCB congener and OC pesticide patterns varied within harbour seals (based on gender and maturity) and between harbour and grey seals. PCB and OC concentrations in harbour seals were lower than those seen in a sample of significantly older beluga whales. Both species remain in the Estuary year-round. PCB and OC pesticide concentrations were higher in resident harbour seals than in either grey or harp seals that visit the Estuary seasonally. PCB and OC pesticide concentrations in harbour seals from the Estuary were generally higher than in harbour seals from other regions of North America. They were comparable to, or higher than those from the NE Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and lower than those from the Wadden and Baltic Seas.
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Hall AJ, Duck CD, Law RJ, Allchin CR, Wilson S, Eybator T. Organochlorine contaminants in Caspian and harbour seal blubber. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 1999; 106:203-212. [PMID: 15093047 DOI: 10.1016/s0269-7491(99)00073-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/1998] [Accepted: 03/08/1999] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Organochlorine contaminants (pesticides and individual polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, PCBs) were measured in Caspian (Phoca caspica) seal blubber and compared with concentrations in Harbour (Phoca vitulina) seal blubber. Concentrations of total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites were significantly higher in Caspian seal than Harbour seal samples, whereas PCB congeners were significantly higher in Harbour than Caspian seals. Our finding suggests that Caspian seals are exposed to high levels of DDT pesticides. In contrast, PCBs are circulating in this population at much lower levels than in marine mammals from the North Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK.
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Wilson B, Arnold H, Bearzi G, Fortuna CM, Gaspar R, Ingram S, Liret C, Pribanić S, Read AJ, Ridoux V, Schneider K, Urian KW, Wells RS, Wood C, Thompson PM, Hammond PS. Epidermal diseases in bottlenose dolphins: impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors. Proc Biol Sci 1999; 266:1077-83. [PMID: 10380684 PMCID: PMC1689944 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental studies have highlighted the potential influence of contaminants on marine mammal immune function and anthropogenic contaminants are commonly believed to influence the development of diseases observed in the wild. However, estimates of the impact of contaminants on wild populations are constrained by uncertainty over natural variation in disease patterns under different environmental conditions. We used photographic techniques to compare levels of epidermal disease in ten coastal populations of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) exposed to a wide range of natural and anthropogenic conditions. Epidermal lesions were common in all populations (affecting > 60% of individuals), but both the prevalence and severity of 15 lesion categories varied between populations. No relationships were found between epidermal disease and contaminant levels across the four populations for which toxicological data were available. In contrast, there were highly significant linear relationships with oceanographic variables. In particular, populations from areas of low water temperature and low salinity exhibited higher lesion prevalence and severity. Such conditions may impact on epidermal integrity or produce more general physiological stress, potentially making animals more vulnerable to natural infections or anthropogenic factors. These results show that variations in natural environmental factors must be accounted for when investigating the importance of anthropogenic impacts on disease in wild marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Wilson
- University of Aberdeen, Department of Zoology, Cromarty, Ross-shire, UK.
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Abstract
Morbillivirus infections which were not documented in aquatic mammals until 1988, have caused at least five epizootics in these species during the last 10 years. Affected populations include European harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in 1998, Baikal seals (Phoca siberica) in Siberia from 1987-1988, striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the Mediterranean Sea from 1990-1992 and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the eastern coast of the United States from 1987-1988 and in the Gulf of Mexico from 1993-1994. Clinical signs and lesions in affected animals were similar to those of canine distemper. Lesions were mainly seen in lung, central nervous and lymphoid tissues and included formation of intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Syncytia were commonly found in lung and lymphoid tissues of cetaceans but not of pinnipeds. Antigenic and molecular biological studies indicate that a newly discovered morbillivirus, termed phocine distemper virus, and canine distemper virus were responsible for recent pinniped epizootics; cetacean die-offs were caused by strains of a second, newly recognized cetacean morbillivirus. Serological evidence of morbillivirus infection has been identified in a broad range of marine mammal populations and recent epizootics probably resulted from transfer of virus to immunologically-naive populations.
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Zitko V, Stenson G, Hellou J. Levels of organochlorine and polycyclic aromatic compounds in harp seal beaters (Phoca groenlandica). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 1998; 221:11-29. [PMID: 9810732 DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(98)00159-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, chlorobiphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were measured in blubber, liver, kidney and muscle of five male and five female, 8-month-old harp seals (Phoca groenlandica). Levels of organochlorine contaminants were lowest in muscle, nearly 100 times higher in blubber and intermediate in kidney and liver. Only 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran was detected in all liver and blubber samples (0.45 and 3.15 pg/g wet wt., respectively). Concentrations of chlorobiphenyls expressed as Aroclor 1254 were 3.8 and 8.2, 8.6 and 21.5, 23 and 73, and 945 and 890 ng/g wet wt. in the muscle, kidney, liver and blubber of female and male seals, respectively. p,p'-DDE, trans-nonachlor, oxychlordane and alpha-HCH were the additional predominant organochlorine compounds at 460 and 460, 415 and 530, 300 and 390, and 190 and 230 ng/g wet in the blubber of female and male seals, respectively. Concentrations of chlorobiphenyls and pesticides in muscle, liver and kidney were two-three times higher in males compared to females, whether expressed on a wet weight or a lipid weight basis, and approximately equal in blubber, even though the blubber layer of females was 30% thicker than that of males. Naphthalene and its C1-C3 homologues were detected in all tissues, generally at concentrations below 10 ng/g wet wt. The concentrations of PCBs and DDTs in blubber are considerably lower than those reported for juvenile seals from the same area 20 years ago. PCB and organochlorine pesticide concentrations and profiles are discussed in relation to those reported from other areas, as well as to sex and age of the seals.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Zitko
- St. Andrews Biological Station, New Brunswick, Canada
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Nakata H, Tanabe S, Tatsukawa R, Amano M, Miyazaki N, Petrov EA. Bioaccumulation profiles of polychlorinated biphenyls including coplanar congeners and possible toxicological implications in Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 1997; 95:57-65. [PMID: 15093474 DOI: 10.1016/s0269-7491(96)00092-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/1996] [Accepted: 07/23/1996] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Isomer specific concentrations of individual polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) including toxic non-ortho (IUPAC 77, 126, 169), mono-ortho (105, 118, 156) and di-ortho (137, 138, 153, 180) coplanar congeners were determined in the blubber of 40 Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica) and as their fish diet collected from Lake Baikal, Siberia. Residue levels of total PCBs in Baikal seals were noticeably high and comparable to those reported for seals from the North Sea, suggesting the recent usage of this compound in the watershed of Lake Baikal. Non-, mono-, and di-ortho coplanar congeners were also detected in Baikal seals and fish. An approach to estimate bioaccumulation profiles of PCB congeners revealed that the non-ortho PCBs, IUPAC 77, 126 and 169 seemed to be less persistent than other congeners. Furthermore, selective biotransformation of PCB congeners having either meta-para vicinal H atoms or both adjacent chlorinated meta-para and ortho-meta positions has been suggested. Comparison of 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxic equivalents (TEQ) of non-, mono- and di-ortho coplanar congeners in Baikal seals with those for other marine mammals suggested higher enrichment of mono-ortho congeners, particularly IUPAC 105 and 118, which contributed significantly to the total TEQs in Baikal seals. Results imply that the TCDD-like toxicity is relatively serious in Baikal seals, because of the enrichment of these toxic PCB congeners in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Nakata
- Department of Life Environment Conservation, Ehime University, Tarumi 3-5-7, Matsuyama 790, Japan
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McKenzie C, Rogan E, Reid RJ, Wells DE. Concentrations and patterns of organic contaminants in Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) from Irish and Scottish coastal waters. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 1997; 98:15-27. [PMID: 15093341 DOI: 10.1016/s0269-7491(97)00109-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/1996] [Accepted: 07/24/1997] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Chlorobiphenyls (CBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been determined in the blubber of 17 Atlantic white-sided dolphins stranded at Killala Bay, Co Mayo, Ireland and five from the Scottish coast. The concentrations of the contaminants measured range from 773 to 63,400 microg kg(-1) for sigmaCB and from 160 to 54,600 microg kg(-1) for sigmaDDT. The concentrations of the CBs and OCPs is highly dependent on the age, sex, reproductive state and nutritional condition of the animals in addition to the intake via the food web. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) has been used to study the variation of chemical patterns (data ratioed to CB 153). Immature animals (< 6 years), mature males and primogravid females, and lactating females could be distinguished on the basis of their contaminant patterns. This paper describes the different processes of bioaccumulation and metabolism of organochlorine contaminants (OCs) in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- C McKenzie
- FRS Marine Laboratory, PO Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB, UK
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Ross P, De Swart R, Addison R, Van Loveren H, Vos J, Osterhaus A. Contaminant-induced immunotoxicity in harbour seals: wildlife at risk? Toxicology 1996; 112:157-69. [PMID: 8814345 DOI: 10.1016/0300-483x(96)03396-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Persistent, lipophilic polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) accumulate readily in the aquatic food chain and are found in high concentrations in seals and other marine mammals. Recent mass mortalities among several marine mammal populations have been attributed to infection by morbilliviruses, but a contributing role for immunotoxic PHAHs, including the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) was not ruled out. We addressed this issue by carrying out a semi-field study in which captive harbour seals were fed herring from either the relatively uncontaminated Atlantic Ocean or the contaminated Baltic Sea for 2 years. We present here an overview of results obtained during this study. An impairment of natural killer (NK) cell activity, in vitro T-lymphocyte function, antigen-specific in vitro lymphocyte proliferative responses, and in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity and antibody responses to ovalbumin was observed in the seals fed the contaminated Baltic herring. Additional feeding studies in PVG rats using the same herring batches suggested that an effect at the level of the thymus may be responsible for changes in cellular immunity, that virus-specific immune responses may be impaired, and that perinatal exposure to environmental contaminants represents a greater immunotoxic threat than exposure as a juvenile or adult. Together with the pattern of TCDD toxic equivalents of different PHAHs in the herring, these data indicate that present levels of PCBs in the aquatic food chain are immunotoxic to mammals. A review of contaminant levels in free-ranging harbour seals inhabiting polluted areas of Europe and North America suggests that many populations may be at risk to immunotoxicity. This could result in diminished host resistance and an increased incidence and severity of infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Ross
- Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
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Colborn T, Smolen MJ. Epidemiological analysis of persistent organochlorine contaminants in cetaceans. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 1996; 146:91-172. [PMID: 8714222 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4613-8478-6_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Information is provided to test the hypothesis that organochlorines introduced into the environment since the early 1940s could threaten the reproductive potential of baleen whales and other cetaceans. Comparisons are made using data on the role of organochlorines in a model system, the Great Lakes region of North America, and in model animals, including humans, pinnipeds, and other wildlife. DDT and PCB are used as model organochlorines with the caveat that there may be thousands of other chemicals in the environment also involved. Improved sensitivity in analytical quantification of synthetic chemicals in biological tissue has been accompanied by an increase in knowledge about biochemical processes that control development and function. The effects described in this review are the result of disrupted gene expression, not damage to the gene. The mechanisms of action of the organochlorines reveal their ability to affect developing organisms at very low concentrations during critical life stages: embryonic, fetal, and early postnatal. Exposure during early development can disrupt the organization of the endocrine, reproductive, immune and nervous systems, effecting irreversible damage that may not be expressed until the individuals reach adulthood. The recent discovery that human sperm count is declining worldwide at a rate of 1 x 10(6) sperm/(mL.yr) suggests common exposure to estrogen-like chemicals during prenatal and early postnatal development. This raises concern for other top predator species that also share the same exposure. Periods of intense feeding followed by long periods of fasting are common among species of baleen whales. This unique strategy places the embryonic and nursing calves in vulnerable positions, because under both situations maternal blood levels are elevated as a result of absorption from food intake or as a result of mobilization as fat is metabolized. Estimates of Toxic Equivalents (TEQs) based on the occurrence of four PCB congeners (118, 183, 153, 180) in sigma PCB reported in whales are highest for St. Lawrence belugas and Faroe Island long-finned pilot whales. This conservative approach reveals that some whale species are within the range of enzyme-induced TEQs at which effects have been associated with adverse health effects in other aquatic species. The epidemiological approach was used for analysis because it was developed to handle multiple exposure scenarios in which direct causal links are virtually impossible to isolate. The analysis includes the tenets of timeorder, strength of association, specificity of cause and effect, consistency, coherence, and predictive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Colborn
- World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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Ross PS, De Swart RL, Van Loveren H, Osterhaus AD, Vos JG. The immunotoxicity of environmental contaminants to marine wildlife: A review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1996. [DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8030(96)90011-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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de Swart RL, Ross PS, Timmerman HH, Hijman WC, de Ruiter EM, Liem AK, Brouwer A, van Loveren H, Reijnders PJ, Vos JG. Short term fasting does not aggravate immunosuppression in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) with high body burdens of organochlorines. CHEMOSPHERE 1995; 31:4289-4306. [PMID: 8520929 DOI: 10.1016/0045-6535(95)00298-m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Two groups of 11 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) with different body burdens of organochlorines were subjected to an experimental 15-day fasting period, during which they lost an average 16.5% of their body weights. Blood levels of the most persistent organochlorines showed an approximate twofold increase, while levels of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-binding organochlorines remained largely unaffected. Few differences in immunological parameters were observed between the two dietary groups. Numbers of circulating lymphocytes dropped to about 65% of the initial values and NK cell activity showed a slight increase in both groups. Mitogen- and antigen-induced lymphoproliferative responses of the Baltic group of seals remained within normal ranges. These results suggest that relatively short-term fasting periods do not present an additional immunotoxicological risk to seals with high body burdens of organochlorines.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L de Swart
- Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
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Impact of captivity and contamination level on blood parameters of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1995. [DOI: 10.1016/0300-9629(95)02014-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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