Polyfluoroalkyl Compounds in Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAs) have been used for decades in industrial and commercial products and are now detected worldwide. Concentrations of two major PFA groups, carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and sulfonic acids (PFSAs), were assessed in plasma of bottlenose dolphins from the Gulf of Mexico (Sarasota Bay, FL) and the Atlantic Ocean (Delaware Bay, NJ, Charleston, SC, Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL, and Bermuda). Eight PFAs were detected in the plasma of all dolphins. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the predominant compound at all locations (range from 49 ng/g wet weight (w.w.) in dolphins from Bermuda to 1171 ng/g w.w. in plasma of animals from Charleston). Sum of PFA concentrations were significantly higher in animals from Charleston compared to IRL, Sarasota Bay, and Bermuda. Concentrations of several PFAs were negatively associated with age in animals from IRL and Charleston. No differences between gender were observed for all compounds at all locations. An increase in PFA concentrations was associated with a decrease of blubber thickness in animals from Sarasota Bay and IRL. Fluorotelomer 8:2 and 10:2 unsaturated carboxylic acids (FTUCAs), known degradation products of fluorotelomer alcohols and suspected precursors to PFCAs, were detected for the first time at low concentrations in plasma of dolphins.

Trends of polyfluoroalkyl compounds in marine biota and in humans

“…[17] Polar bears showed the highest amounts of PFHxS among mammals, but PFBS was not analysed (Table 1). Fluorotelomer saturated and unsaturated carboxylates (FTCAs and FTUCAs) were found in very low concentrations in several marine mammal species such as ringed seals (o4.6 ng g À1 ww) [71] and dolphins from the US Atlantic Ocean coast (o1.4 ng g À1 ww), [92] but they were not detected in polar bears from the Canadian Arctic [78] and in dolphins and porpoises from South China and India. [84,88] The presence of those precursor compounds supports the hypothesis that atmospheric FTOHs are a source of PFCAs as FTOH can degrade via atmospheric oxidation to FTCAs and FTUCAs.…”

“…[85] Contrarily, Smithwick et al found increasing PFOS and C 9 -C 14 PFCA concentrations in male polar bears up to an age of six. [99] Higher concentrations of PFOS in pups than in adults were also found in sea otters from Alaska, [74] Baikal seals from Russia, [72] bottlenose dolphins from the Atlantic Ocean, [92] harbour seals from the north-west Atlantic Ocean [83] and the German Bight, [76] harbour porpoises from the southern North Sea [97] and elephant seals from the Antarctic. [103] This was explained by higher rates of elimination in adults, [73] different consumption of different contaminated food, [76] and PFC transfer from mothers to their offspring through milk or placenta after parturition.…”

Mucocutaneous lesions in free-ranging Atlantic bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from the southeastern USA

“…Papillomavirusassociated orogenital papillomas have been described in other marine mammal species (Van Bressem et al 1996, 2007a, Bossart et al 2002, Ghim et al 2014). In our earlier study from 2003 to 2005, orogenital papillomas were described for the first time in association with virions ultrastructurally suggestive of a herpesvirus (Bossart et al 2005), and later with infection associated with the first reported American dolphin papillomavirus (Rehtanz et al 2006(Rehtanz et al , 2010. More recently, co-infection with a papillomavirus and herpesvirus was reported in genital papillomas from HERA dolphins (Rehtanz et al 2012).…”

“…In instances when a tooth was unobtainable, age was estimated from total body length ranges established for the species (Geraci & Lounsbury 2005). For this study, adults were defined as dolphins 6 yr of age or older and subadults from 3.5 to 5.9 yr, as described previously (Bossart et al 2005. Dolphin calves were not included in the study, as this age group was not permitted to be captured under capture permit restrictions.…”

Land use and the spatial distribution of perfluoroalkyl compounds as measured in the plasma of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

“…PFOS and PFCA concentrations detected in the plasma of bottlenose dolphins sampled in Charleston, SC (2003SC ( -2004 represent some of the highest concentrations reported in marine mammals (Houde et al, 2006b;Houde et al, 2005). Charleston, SC is centrally located within the southeast region of the United States.…”