Pre-oil spill baseline profiling for contaminants in Southern Resident killer whale fecal sample indicates possible exposure to vessel exhaust

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:136

Article

Lundin, Jessica, I¹  Ylitalo, Gina M.²  Giles, Deborah A.³  Seely, Elizabeth A.¹  Anulacion, Bernadita F.²  Boyd, Daryle T.²  Hempelmann, Jennifer A.⁵  Parsons, Kim M.^4,5  Booth, Rebecca K.¹  Wasser, Samuel K.¹ 

[1] Univ Washington, Ctr Conservat Biol, Dept Biol, Seattle, WA 98195 USA

[2] NOAA, Environm & Fisheries Sci Div, Northwest Fisheries Sci Ctr, Natl Marine Fisheries Serv, 2725 Montlake Blvd E, Seattle, WA 98112 USA

[3] Univ Washington, Friday Harbor Labs, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA

[4] NOAA, Alaska Fisheries Sci Ctr, Natl Marine Fisheries Serv, 7600 Sand Point Way NE,Bldg 4, Seattle, WA 98115 USA

[5] NOAA, Conservat Biol Div, Northwest Fisheries Sci Ctr, Natl Marine Fisheries Serv, 2725 Montlake Blvd E, Seattle, WA 98112 USA

关键词: Killer whale;    Salish Sea;    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons;    Oil spill;    Vessel exhaust;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.015

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The Southern Resident killer whale population (Orcinus orca) was listed as endangered in 2005 and shows little sign of recovery. Exposure to contaminants and risk of an oil spill are identified threats. Previous studies on contaminants have largely focused on legacy pollutants. Here we measure polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in whale fecal (scat) samples. PAHs are a diverse group of hazardous compounds (e.g., carcinogenic, mutagenic), and are a component of crude and refined oil as well as motor exhaust. The central finding from this study indicates low concentrations of the measured PAHs (< 10 ppb, wet weight), as expected; however, PAHs were as high as 104 ppb prior to implementation of guidelines mandating increased distance between vessels and whales. While causality is unclear, the potential PAN exposure from vessels warrants continued monitoring. Historical precedent similarly emphasizes the importance of having pre-oil spill exposure data available as baseline to guide remediation goals.

【 授权许可】

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