The relationship between land use and emerging and legacy contaminants in an Apex predator, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), from two adjacent estuarine watersheds

Jeffrey Adams; Todd Speakman; Eric Zolman; Greg Mitchum; Edward Wirth; Gregory D Bossart; Patricia A Fair

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2014.08.037

The relationship between land use and emerging and legacy contaminants in an Apex predator, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), from two adjacent estuarine watersheds

Environ Res. 2014 Nov:135:346-53. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.08.037. Epub 2014 Oct 29.

Authors

Jeffrey Adams¹, Todd Speakman², Eric Zolman², Greg Mitchum³, Edward Wirth³, Gregory D Bossart⁴, Patricia A Fair³

Affiliations

¹ Ocean Associates, Inc. Under Contract to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA. Electronic address: Jeff.Adams@noaa.gov.
² JHT, Inc. Under Contract to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Lab, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
³ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
⁴ Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution at Florida Atlantic University, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Ft. Pierce, FL 34946, USA; Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30313, USA.

PMID: 25462684
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.08.037

Abstract

Background: Persistent organohalogen contaminant (POC) exposure is of concern in marine mammals due to the potential for adverse health effects. Studies have examined POCs in marine mammals on a regional scale; however, limited data exists on POC concentrations relative to land use and watersheds.

Objective: Examine geographical variation of POC concentrations in bottlenose dolphins as it relates to land, and watershed, use.

Methods: POC (PCBs, DDTs, and PBDEs) concentrations were measured in blubber of bottlenose dolphins (n= 40) sampled in estuarine waters near Charleston, SC. Photo-identification sighting histories were used to assess the dolphins' use of estuarine waters in two adjacent watersheds (Cooper Subbasin and Stono Subbasin) in the study area and to determine land use (developed, forested, agriculture, and wetland) associations.

Results: Dolphins with ≥ 75% of their sightings in the Cooper Subbasin, which is characterized by a higher degree of developed land use, exhibited higher levels of PCBs, PBDEs, and total pesticides than those with ≥ 75% of their sightings in the Stono Subbasin. Observed differences were significant for ΣPBDEs and ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs ratio. Significant positive correlations were observed between ΣPBDEs and developed land use and between ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs and wetland land use. A significant negative correlation was observed between ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs and developed land use.

Conclusion: The spatial pattern of PBDEs and the ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs detected in dolphin blubber was shown to vary significantly with adjacent watersheds and land use associations.

Keywords: Apex predator; Bioaccumulation; Bottlenose dolphins; Land use; Persistent organohalogen compounds (POC); Spatial distribution; Watershed.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue / chemistry*
Agriculture
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / metabolism*
Environment*
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Environmental Monitoring / statistics & numerical data
Environmental Pollutants / analysis*
Estuaries*
Food Chain*
Forests
Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / analysis*
South Carolina
Wetlands

Substances

Environmental Pollutants
Hydrocarbons, Halogenated