Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorines in By-Caught Harbour Porpoises Phocoena phocoena and Common Dolphins Delphinus delphis from Irish Coastal Waters

Abstract

Concentrations of 11 organochlorine (OC) pesticides and 10 individual polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in blubber and liver from 12 harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena and eight common dolphins Delphinus delphis incidentally caught in fishing nets in Irish waters are presented. Female harbour porpoises had highest concentrations of OC in blubber and male common dolphins in liver. Harbour porpoises had higher mean concentrations of lindane (121-154 ng/g extractable lipid), dieldrin (116-121 ng/g) and  BHC (54-128 ng/g) but common dolphins had greater overall concentrations of DDT (9444-3998 ng/g). The predominant DDT metabolite was pp-DDE and for the chlordanes was t-nonachlor. Concentrations of ICES 7 PCB (liver-blubber) were similar in both species (4075-7999 ng/g in harbour porpoise and 4076-8945 in common dolphins). The sum of ICES 7 PCB in porpoises ranged from 3041-12270 ng/g extractable lipid in the blubber of females and from 2911-10429 ng/g in males and 798-11074 ng/g in the blubber of female common dolphins and 1555-15883 ng/g in males. Contaminant levels were generally similar to those reported from Scotland but lower than reported from Scandinavia. Ratios of DDT to DDE suggests that there are limited new sources of DDT into the Irish marine environment. These results provide a baseline for monitoring of persistent pollutants in the Irish marine environment.