Analyses of Mercury Organochlorines in Individual Marine Mammals from the Faroe Islands: Kanningar av kyksilvri og organokloridum í einstøkum havsúgdjórum í Føroyum

Abstract

In all, 14 congeners of PCB are reported as well as six isomers of DDT, three parlars of toxaphene, five representatives of the chlordane group of compounds, 6-hexachlorohexane, hexachlorobenzene, and Mirex. In all, 100 pilot whales (Glohicephala melas), 28 whitesided dolphins (Lagenorhyncus acutus), and 30 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) where analysed individually.
The mercury concentration in muscle samples taken from the same number of individuals of these three species is provided also. In the case of the white-sided dolphins, the muscle mercury analyses were done on the same individuals as the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) analyses. The results are given as mean values for groups of juveniles and adult males and females, and are also shown as pollutant concentration vs. individual body length (odontocetes) or age (seal). The highest concentrations of the persistent chlorinated organic pollutants were found in adult males and juveniles. The concentration of mercury was highest in the group of adult male pilot whales. The highest concentration of CB 153, 6.7 mg/kg lipid, was found in the adult male group of grey seals. The highest concentration of p,p'- DDE, 18.6 mg/kg lipid, was found in the white-sided
dolphin males. Trans-nonachlor was the dominant chlordane compound and the group with the highest trans-nonachlor concentration, equal to 4.8 mg/kg lipid, was the adult males of the white-sided dolphins.