ORGANOCHLORINES AND MERCURY IN PILOT WHALE BLUBBER CONSUMED BY FAROE ISLANDERS

Some 22 000 pilot whales (Globicephala melaena) were taken in the Faro e Islands between 1970 and 1992. It is known that tissues from these a nimals are widely consumed by the islanders. The position of these ani mals at the apex of a direct marine food chain renders them liable to accumulate toxic chemicals, such as metals and organochlorines. Althou gh the consumption of contaminating metals in pilot whale tissues has been studied, the significance of blubber as a dietary source of organ ochlorine compounds has not been fully considered. This study reports levels of organochlorine and mercury contamination in the blubber of p ilot whales taken in two Faroese kills. Published estimates of pilot w hale tissue consumption are used to evaluate dietary organochlorine in take in relation to established national and international guidelines and clinical studies conducted in the North American Great Lakes.