Stranded false killer whales, Pseudorca crassidens, in Southern South America reveal potentially dangerous silver concentrations

BLANK, OLIVIA; ARREDONDO, CRISTóBAL; CáCERES-SAEZ, IRIS; AGUAYO-LOBO, ANELIO; CAPPOZZO, H. LUIS; HARO, DANIELA; DOUGNAC, CATHERINE; RIBEIRO GUEVARA, SERGIO

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2019 vol. 145 p. 325 - 333

0025-326X

Silver (Ag) is a non-essential metal known to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. We determined Ag concentrationsin five false killer whales stranded in South America. Silver concentrations (in dry weight basis)range as 6.62?10.78 ìg g−1 in liver, 0.008?7.41 ìg g−1 in spleen, 0.004?5.71 ìg g−1 in testis, 0.757?1.69 ìg g−1in kidney, 0.011?0.078 ìg g−1 in lung and < 0.01?0.038 ìg g−1 in muscle, whereas in the single samples ofuterus and ovary were 0.051 and 0.023 ìg g−1; respectively. Overall, Ag concentration in liver and kidneyexceeded the cetacean toxic thresholds, proposed as ?unhealthy concentrations? and ?critically dangerous? inliver and kidney. These results warrant further eco-toxicological studies, to examine biological effects of elevatedsilver levels for individuals and to assess the species' conservation status with respect to marine pollution.