PCBs and chlorinated pesticides in clinically healthy Tursiops truncatus: Relationships between levels in blubber and blood

A method for estimating organochlorine (OC) levels in blubber from levels f ound in blood samples could augment health assessment of dolphin population s where blubber sample collection is not possible. To explore the relations hip between residue levels in red blood cells and blubber, paired preprandi al blubber and blood samples were collected from 16 clinically healthy bott lenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Residue levels were quantified for 10 PCB congeners and 17 chlorinated pesticides using GC/MS. Not all OCs detect ed in blubber were found in detectable levels in blood. However, significan t relationships (p less than or equal to 0.05) were found for HCB, trans-no nachlor, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, tDDT, and PCBs 5 2, 101, 118, 128, 138(+158), 153, 170, and 187, The statistically significa nt r(2) terms ranged from 0.95 (p,p'-DDD) to 0.36 (trans-nonachlor) with a median of 0.64. The slopes of the regression models presented here for thes e analytes may be useful in estimating population levels of OCs in Tursiops blubber using levels measured in blood samples. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.