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

CÁCERES-SAEZ, IRIS; HARO, DANIELA; BLANK, OLIVIA; AGUAYO-LOBO, ANELIO; DOUGNAC, CATHERINE; ARREDONDO, CRISTÓBAL; CAPPOZZO, H. LUIS; 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 concentrations in five false killer whales stranded in South America. Silver concentrations (in dry weight basis)range as 6.62?10.78 μg g−1 in liver, 0.008?7.41 μg g−1 in spleen, 0.004?5.71 μg g−1 in testis, 0.757?1.69 μg g−1 in kidney, 0.011?0.078 μg g−1 in lung and < 0.01?0.038 μg g−1 in muscle, whereas in the single samples of uterus and ovary were 0.051 and 0.023 μg g−1; Respectively. Overall, Ag concentration in liver and kidney exceeded the cetacean toxic thresholds, proposed as ?unhealthy concentrations? and ?critically Dangerous? in liver and kidney. These results warrant further eco-toxicological studies, to examine biological effects of elevated silver levels for individuals and to assess the species' conservation status with respect to marine pollution.