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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

A 50-year retrospective of persistent organic pollutants in the fat and eggs of penguins of the Southern Ocean

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Author(s):
Ellis, Daniel S. [1, 2] ; Cipro, Caio V. Z. [3, 4] ; Ogletree, Camden A. [1] ; Smith, Kathryn E. [1, 5] ; Aronson, Richard B. [1]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Florida Inst Technol, Dept Biol Sci, 150 West Univ Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901 - USA
[2] Calif Dept Fish & Wildlife, 2109 Arch Airport Rd, Suite 100, Stockton, CA 95206 - USA
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Oceanog, Lab Quim Organ Marinha, BR-05508120 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[4] Univ La Rochelle, CNRS, Littoral Environm & Soc LIENSs, UMR 7266, 2 Rue Olympe Gouges, F-17042 La Rochelle 01 - France
[5] Univ Exeter, Coll Life & Environm Sci, Exeter EX4 4QD, Devon - England
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: Environmental Pollution; v. 241, p. 155-163, OCT 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 6
Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPS) such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been spreading to Antarctica for over half a century. Penguins are effective indicators of pelagic concentrations of POPs. We synthesized the literature on penguins to assess temporal trends of pelagic contamination in Antarctica, using fat and eggs to monitor changes from 1964 to 2011. DDT/DDE ratios suggest long-range atmospheric transport. Average DDT in fat (ww) increased from 44 ng g(-1), in the 1960s, peaked at 171 ng g(-1) in the mid-1980s, and then declined slowly to the present level of 101 ng g(-1). Temporal trends in HCB contamination rose into the 1990s before declining. Sigma HCHs in fat was similar to 5 ng g(-1) from 1960 to 1979, peaking at 33 ng g(-1) during the period 1980-1989 before declining to similar to 5 ng g(-1), from 1990 to present. PCBs rose substantially from 1970 to 2009 in fat, varying more than DDTs and HCB in both fat and eggs. Antarctic penguins are good biological indicators of global DDT and HCB emissions, but the existing data are insufficient regarding HCHs and PCBs. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)