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| Author(s): |
Mariana Batha Alonso
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto Oceanográfico (IO/DIDC) |
| Defense date: | 2008-08-04 |
| Examining board members: |
Rosalinda Carmela Montone;
Mary Rosa Rodrigues de Marchi;
Marcos César de Oliveira Santos
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| Advisor: | Rosalinda Carmela Montone |
| Abstract | |
Organochlorines are one of the main pollutant groups that affect the ecosystems due to their environmental persistence and toxicity to the organisms. Franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, is a coastal cetacean, the only Brazilian dolphin considered threatened with extinction, due to the human activities. The aim of this work was evaluate the occurrence of organochlorines in the blubber samples of Pontoporia blainvillei collected on the coast of São Paulo State. The extraction and purification methodology was tested and optimized according to proceedings described in literature. A total of 53 individuals were analyzed: 29 males and 24 females. Organochlorine concentrations were higher in males when comparing to females with the same sexual maturity. PCBs were the predominant compounds (326 - 42185 ng g-1 lipid weight), followed by DDTs (107 - 7185 ng g-1 lipid wt), HCHs (n.d. - 46 ng g-1 lipid wt), CHLs (n.d. - 126 ng g-1 lipid wt), HCB (< 2 - 133 ng g-1 lipid wt) and Mirex (< 7 - 259 ng g-1 lipid wt). The ratio DDTs/PCBs was lesser than 0.6 indicating a major industrial than agricultural contribution in the study area. There were significant differences between the OCs values in franciscanas from 3 localities of São Paulo State coast: with the higher concentrations occurring in Baixada Santista. (AU) | |