Organohalogen compounds in whale blubber provide window into marine habitats for 11 species
Comprehensive screening analysis of organohalogen compounds in blubber samples of 11 toothed whale species stranded on Japanese coasts revealed species-specific accumulation profiles, with a total of more than 300 organohalogen compounds detected. For the first time, the composition profiles of marine natural products were found to be useful indicators of the feeding habitats and migration history of individual whale species.
Cetaceans are higher trophic animals in the marine ecosystem and have a long lifespan and therefore accumulate a wide variety of chemicals through the food web. Their chronic exposure to organohalogen compounds, especially high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), may adversely affect the animals' health.
Previous studies in North America have confirmed exposure of several cetacean species not only to existing POPs, but also to other artificial contaminants and marine natural products with POPs-like physicochemical properties and toxicity.
However, the species–specific differences in the accumulation levels and composition patterns of various organohalogen compounds (man-made pollutants, marine natural substances, and substances of unknown origin) in cetaceans remained largely unknown.
This study, in Environmental Science & Technology, investigated the species–specific accumulation profiles of organohalogen compounds in blubber samples of 11 species of toothed whales, archived in the Ehime University Environmental Specimen Bank (es-BANK), using comprehensive GC/MS analysis and cluster analysis.
A total of 313 organohalogen compounds were detected in the blubber samples, and their accumulation levels and composition profiles were found to reflect the differences in habitat, depth, and migration routes of individual whale species. The analytical methods established in this study will be useful for comprehensive screening of chemical contaminants in marine mammal species as well as for tracing current and past habitats of these animals.
More information: Tomoya Sunouchi et al, Comprehensive Screening of Anthropogenic and Natural Organohalogen Compounds in 11 Species of Toothed Whales Stranded along Japanese Coasts: Species-Specific Accumulation Profiles and Potential Indicators for Understanding Their Habitats, Environmental Science & Technology (2025).
Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology
Provided by Ehime University
