Metals and chlorobiphenyls in tissues of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and other cetacean species exploiting similar diets

Law, R.J.; Morris, R.J.; Allchin, C.R.; Jones, B.R.

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Metals and chlorobiphenyls in tissues of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and other cetacean species exploiting similar diets

Law, R.J.; Morris, R.J.; Allchin, C.R.; Jones, B.R. (1997). Metals and chlorobiphenyls in tissues of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and other cetacean species exploiting similar diets. Bull. Kon. Belg. Inst. Natuurwet. Biologie 67(suppl.): 79-89

In: Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen. Biologie = Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. Biologie. Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen: Bruxelles. ISSN 0374-6429

Also appears in:

Jacques, G.; Lambertsen, R.H. (Ed.) (1997). Potvissterfte in de Noordzee: wetenschap en beheer = Sperm whale deaths in the North Sea: science and management. Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen. Biologie = Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. Biologie, 67(Suppl.). Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen: Brussel. 133 + synthese (dutch) pp., more

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Keywords

Cephalopods
Chemical compounds > Organic compounds > Hydrocarbons > Halogenated hydrocarbons > Chlorinated hydrocarbons > DDT
Chemical elements > Metals
Diet
Diets
Stranding
Marine/Coastal

Authors		Top
Law, R.J. Morris, R.J. Allchin, C.R. Jones, B.R.

Abstract

Sperm whales are essentially oceanic animals which feed almost exclusively on cephalopods (squid and octopi). In this paper we compare contaminant concentrations determined in tissues from seven of the sperm whales stranded around the North Sea during the 1994/95 winter with those reported for four other odontocete species which feed primarily on cephalopods, and discuss the differences observed in terms of diet, habitat and behaviour. This comparison suggests that to date our attempts to relate contaminant concentrations in cetacean tissues to lifestyle have perhaps been rather simplistic. Critically relating contaminant levels to the ecosystem feeding habits of cetacean species may assist us to elucidate metabolic pathways and yield a better understanding of long-term uptake and elimination processes within these animals.

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