Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 137, Issue -, Pages 56-60Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.012
Keywords
Chlordecone; Cetacean odontocetes; Caribbean Islands; Biomagnification
Funding
- project FAPESP [2016/18348-1]
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)
- Society for Marine Mammalogy
- AGOA cetacean sanctuary
- DEAL Guadeloupe
- project Habitats, comportements alimentaires et interactions sociales des grands vertebres marins menaces dans les Petites Antilles - TOTAL Foundation
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In the French West Indies (Caribbean), the insecticide Chlordecone (CLD) has been extensively used to reduce banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) infestations in banana plantations. Previous studies have shown high CLD concentrations in freshwater and coastal communities of the region. CLD concentrations, however, have not yet been assessed in marine top predators. We investigated CLD concentrations in cetacean blubber tissues from Guadeloupe, including Physeter macrocephalus, Lagenodelphis hosei, Stenella attenuata and Pseudorca crassidens. Chlordecone was detected in all blubber samples analysed, with the exception of four P. macrocephalus. Concentrations (range: 1 to 329 ng.g(-1) of lipid weight) were, however, lower than those found in species from fresh and brackish water. Ecological factors (open ocean habitat), CLD kinetics, and cetacean metabolism (high or specific enzymatic activity) might explain low concentrations found in cetacean blubber. Future analyses that include internal organ sampling would help to confirm CLD levels observed in this study.
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