Age and seasonal variability of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in free-ranging East Greenland polar bears ( Ursus maritimus)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analysed in adipose tissue from 92 East Greenland polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) sampled during 1999–2001. Mean ΣPBDE concentrations were 70 ng/g lipid weight (lw) (range: 22–192 ng/g lw) and showed no relationship with age or sex. Of the 32 analysed PBDE...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Environmental pollution (1987) 2007-03, Vol.146 (1), p.166-173
Main Authors:	Dietz, Rune, Rigét, Frank F., Sonne, Christian, Letcher, Robert J., Backus, Sean, Born, Erik W., Kirkegaard, Maja, Muir, Derek C.G.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	adipose tissue Adipose Tissue - chemistry Age accumulation Aging - physiology animal age animal ecology Animal, plant and microbial ecology Animals Applied ecology bioaccumulation Biological and medical sciences Body Burden Brominated flame retardants Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollutants - analysis ethers Female females flame retardant finishes Flame Retardants - analysis Food Chain Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Greenland Male males Mammalia Polar bear pollutants polybrominated biphenyls Polybrominated Biphenyls - analysis Polybrominated diphenyl ethers Seasonal variation Seasons Sex differences Ursidae - physiology Ursus maritimus Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution wildlife habitats
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Summary:	Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analysed in adipose tissue from 92 East Greenland polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) sampled during 1999–2001. Mean ΣPBDE concentrations were 70 ng/g lipid weight (lw) (range: 22–192 ng/g lw) and showed no relationship with age or sex. Of the 32 analysed PBDE congeners; BDE47, BDE153, BDE99 and BDE100 dominated, and comprised 99.6% of the ΣPBDE concentration. The ΣPBDE concentration had a highly significant correlation with ΣPCB, ΣCHL, dieldrin, HCB and ΣHCH concentrations. We found a seasonal pattern of median ΣPBDE concentration with 1.2 to 1.8 times higher concentrations in March to July than the rest of the year. The seasonal variation also provides a clue to the seasonal exposure, bio-availability, toxic exposure and degradation. We suggest that future geographical PBDE data comparisons may not need corrections for sex or age, but such data sets should be corrected for seasonal variability, using the presented correctional trigonometric regression. Mean ΣPBDE concentrations of East Greenland polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) were 69.5 ng/g lw (range: 21.7–192 ng/g lw) and showed a seasonal pattern with no relationship with age and sex.
ISSN:	0269-7491 1873-6424