PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters

PD Jepson; R Deaville; JL Barber; A Aguilar; A Borrell; S Murphy; J Barry; A Brownlow; J Barnett; S Berrow; AA Cunningham; NJ Davison; M ten Doeschate; R Esteban; M Ferreira; AD Foote; T Genov; J Gimenez; J Loveridge; A Llavona; V Martin; DL Maxwell; A Papachlimitzou; R Penrose; MW Perkins; B Smith; R de Stephanis; N Tregenza; P Verborgh; A Fernandez; RJ Law

doi:10.1038/srep18573

PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters

PD Jepson, R Deaville, JL Barber, A Aguilar, A Borrell, S Murphy, J Barry, A Brownlow, J Barnett, S Berrow, AA Cunningham, NJ Davison, M ten Doeschate, R Esteban, M Ferreira, AD Foote, T Genov, J Gimenez, J Loveridge, A LlavonaV Martin, DL Maxwell, A Papachlimitzou, R Penrose, MW Perkins, B Smith, R de Stephanis, N Tregenza, P Verborgh, A Fernandez, RJ Law

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

325 Citations (Scopus)

62 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the more persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have well-established dose-dependent toxicities to birds, fish and mammals in experimental studies, but the actual impact of OC pollutants on European marine top predators remains unknown. Here we show that several cetacean species have very high mean blubber PCB concentrations likely to cause population declines and suppress population recovery. In a large pan-European meta-analysis of stranded (n = 929) or biopsied (n = 152) cetaceans, three out of four species:- striped dolphins (SDs), bottlenose dolphins (BNDs) and killer whales (KWs) had mean PCB levels that markedly exceeded all known marine mammal PCB toxicity thresholds. Some locations (e.g. western Mediterranean Sea, south-west Iberian Peninsula) are global PCB “hotspots” for marine mammals. Blubber PCB concentrations initially declined following a mid-1980s EU ban, but have since stabilised in UK harbour porpoises and SDs in the western Mediterranean Sea. Some small or declining populations of BNDs and KWs in the NE Atlantic were associated with low recruitment, consistent with PCB-induced reproductive toxicity. Despite regulations and mitigation measures to reduce PCB pollution, their biomagnification in marine food webs continues to cause severe impacts among cetacean top predators in European seas.

Original language	English
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	6
Issue number	18573
Early online date	14 Jan 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18573
Publication status	First published - 14 Jan 2016

Keywords

Conservation biology
Environmental monitoring

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/srep18573

14539.pdfFinal published version, 1.33 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Jepson, PD., Deaville, R., Barber, JL., Aguilar, A., Borrell, A., Murphy, S., Barry, J., Brownlow, A., Barnett, J., Berrow, S., Cunningham, AA., Davison, NJ., ten Doeschate, M., Esteban, R., Ferreira, M., Foote, AD., Genov, T., Gimenez, J., Loveridge, J., ... Law, RJ. (2016). PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters. Scientific Reports, 6(18573). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18573

@article{26ce0f4a19904462859f1429c6ffd686,

title = "PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters",

abstract = "Organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the more persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have well-established dose-dependent toxicities to birds, fish and mammals in experimental studies, but the actual impact of OC pollutants on European marine top predators remains unknown. Here we show that several cetacean species have very high mean blubber PCB concentrations likely to cause population declines and suppress population recovery. In a large pan-European meta-analysis of stranded (n = 929) or biopsied (n = 152) cetaceans, three out of four species:- striped dolphins (SDs), bottlenose dolphins (BNDs) and killer whales (KWs) had mean PCB levels that markedly exceeded all known marine mammal PCB toxicity thresholds. Some locations (e.g. western Mediterranean Sea, south-west Iberian Peninsula) are global PCB “hotspots” for marine mammals. Blubber PCB concentrations initially declined following a mid-1980s EU ban, but have since stabilised in UK harbour porpoises and SDs in the western Mediterranean Sea. Some small or declining populations of BNDs and KWs in the NE Atlantic were associated with low recruitment, consistent with PCB-induced reproductive toxicity. Despite regulations and mitigation measures to reduce PCB pollution, their biomagnification in marine food webs continues to cause severe impacts among cetacean top predators in European seas.",

keywords = "Conservation biology, Environmental monitoring",

author = "PD Jepson and R Deaville and JL Barber and A Aguilar and A Borrell and S Murphy and J Barry and A Brownlow and J Barnett and S Berrow and AA Cunningham and NJ Davison and {ten Doeschate}, M and R Esteban and M Ferreira and AD Foote and T Genov and J Gimenez and J Loveridge and A Llavona and V Martin and DL Maxwell and A Papachlimitzou and R Penrose and MW Perkins and B Smith and {de Stephanis}, R and N Tregenza and P Verborgh and A Fernandez and RJ Law",

year = "2016",

month = jan,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1038/srep18573",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "Scientific Reports",

issn = "2045-2322",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "18573",

}

Jepson, PD, Deaville, R, Barber, JL, Aguilar, A, Borrell, A, Murphy, S, Barry, J, Brownlow, A, Barnett, J, Berrow, S, Cunningham, AA, Davison, NJ, ten Doeschate, M, Esteban, R, Ferreira, M, Foote, AD, Genov, T, Gimenez, J, Loveridge, J, Llavona, A, Martin, V, Maxwell, DL, Papachlimitzou, A, Penrose, R, Perkins, MW, Smith, B, de Stephanis, R, Tregenza, N, Verborgh, P, Fernandez, A & Law, RJ 2016, 'PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters', Scientific Reports, vol. 6, no. 18573. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18573

TY - JOUR

T1 - PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters

AU - Jepson, PD

AU - Deaville, R

AU - Barber, JL

AU - Aguilar, A

AU - Borrell, A

AU - Murphy, S

AU - Barry, J

AU - Brownlow, A

AU - Barnett, J

AU - Berrow, S

AU - Cunningham, AA

AU - Davison, NJ

AU - ten Doeschate, M

AU - Esteban, R

AU - Ferreira, M

AU - Foote, AD

AU - Genov, T

AU - Gimenez, J

AU - Loveridge, J

AU - Llavona, A

AU - Martin, V

AU - Maxwell, DL

AU - Papachlimitzou, A

AU - Penrose, R

AU - Perkins, MW

AU - Smith, B

AU - de Stephanis, R

AU - Tregenza, N

AU - Verborgh, P

AU - Fernandez, A

AU - Law, RJ

PY - 2016/1/14

Y1 - 2016/1/14

N2 - Organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the more persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have well-established dose-dependent toxicities to birds, fish and mammals in experimental studies, but the actual impact of OC pollutants on European marine top predators remains unknown. Here we show that several cetacean species have very high mean blubber PCB concentrations likely to cause population declines and suppress population recovery. In a large pan-European meta-analysis of stranded (n = 929) or biopsied (n = 152) cetaceans, three out of four species:- striped dolphins (SDs), bottlenose dolphins (BNDs) and killer whales (KWs) had mean PCB levels that markedly exceeded all known marine mammal PCB toxicity thresholds. Some locations (e.g. western Mediterranean Sea, south-west Iberian Peninsula) are global PCB “hotspots” for marine mammals. Blubber PCB concentrations initially declined following a mid-1980s EU ban, but have since stabilised in UK harbour porpoises and SDs in the western Mediterranean Sea. Some small or declining populations of BNDs and KWs in the NE Atlantic were associated with low recruitment, consistent with PCB-induced reproductive toxicity. Despite regulations and mitigation measures to reduce PCB pollution, their biomagnification in marine food webs continues to cause severe impacts among cetacean top predators in European seas.

AB - Organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the more persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have well-established dose-dependent toxicities to birds, fish and mammals in experimental studies, but the actual impact of OC pollutants on European marine top predators remains unknown. Here we show that several cetacean species have very high mean blubber PCB concentrations likely to cause population declines and suppress population recovery. In a large pan-European meta-analysis of stranded (n = 929) or biopsied (n = 152) cetaceans, three out of four species:- striped dolphins (SDs), bottlenose dolphins (BNDs) and killer whales (KWs) had mean PCB levels that markedly exceeded all known marine mammal PCB toxicity thresholds. Some locations (e.g. western Mediterranean Sea, south-west Iberian Peninsula) are global PCB “hotspots” for marine mammals. Blubber PCB concentrations initially declined following a mid-1980s EU ban, but have since stabilised in UK harbour porpoises and SDs in the western Mediterranean Sea. Some small or declining populations of BNDs and KWs in the NE Atlantic were associated with low recruitment, consistent with PCB-induced reproductive toxicity. Despite regulations and mitigation measures to reduce PCB pollution, their biomagnification in marine food webs continues to cause severe impacts among cetacean top predators in European seas.

KW - Conservation biology

KW - Environmental monitoring

U2 - 10.1038/srep18573

DO - 10.1038/srep18573

M3 - Article

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 6

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

IS - 18573

ER -

PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this