Franciscana dolphins as PCBs marine biomonitors in Argentina, Southwest Atlantic Ocean

ARIAS, ANDRÉS HUGO; DUMOULIN DAVID; CAPOZZO, LUIS; PANEBIANCO, VICTORIA; SOUISSI, SAMI; MARCOVECCHIO, JORGE; NET SOPHEAK; OUDDANE, BAGHDAD; ARIAS, ANDRÉS HUGO; DUMOULIN DAVID; CAPOZZO, LUIS; PANEBIANCO, VICTORIA; SOUISSI, SAMI; MARCOVECCHIO, JORGE; NET SOPHEAK; OUDDANE, BAGHDAD

JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2016 vol. 96 p. 979 - 992

0025-3154

Including a multi-year collection of samples (2004-2011) the present research fills twenty years of an information gap regarding PCB burden in southwest Atlantic franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) while aims to test the null hypothesis that PCBs congeners are increasingly bioaccumulating in southwest Atlantic specimens in relation to north hemisphere records. In addition, the present survey analyze indicators of potential biological impairment associated to PCBs tissue burden. The results could associate each sampling area group of dolphins to one or two Aroclor® patterns and pointed to regional diffuse sources dominance entering PCBs mixtures to the marine environment with a possible regional/long range atmospheric contribution. In addition, Total PCB levels were from four to seven times lower than the closer precedents for the area (18 to 26 years ago) indicating a progress in the environmental release and biota exposure of PCBs and posing an objective indicator of success of the present international elimination programme. Further, when compared to regional and global bioaccumulation patterns, PCBs congeners in Argentinean specimens appeared to occur in a decreasing tendency. Finally, calculated TEQs TCDD levels raised a concern in regards to environmental safety, showing a wide guideline values exceedance and outlying the occasional occurrence of positive correlations between PCBs bioaccumulation vs. sexual immaturity.