Preliminary Hazard Assessment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Dibenzofurans to Yangtze Finless Porpoise in Dongting Lake, China

Abstract

Abstract-Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis), a protected endangered species, is the sole freshwater subspecies of finless porpoise, living only in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, and its appended lakes. Its population has decreased sharply to 1,400 because of human activities, including environmental contamination. In the present study, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were determined in the blubber, liver, kidney, stomach, small intestine, and brains of five individual Yangtze finless porpoises collected from 1998 to 2004. The results showed PCB concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 1.89 g/g lipid weight in the organs and consisted mainly of penta-, hexa-, and decachlorinated biphenyls. The PBDE concentrations were between 5.32 and 72.76 ng/g lipid weight. Tetra-, penta-, and hexabrominated diphenyl ethers were the major homologues. The PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 65 to 1,563 pg/g lipid weight, and their predominant homologues were penta-and hexachlorinated dibenzofurans and hepta-and octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. The hazard quotients (HQs) based on toxic equivalency were determined to be greater than one in all individuals for PCBs, for PCDD/Fs, and for PCBs and PCDD/Fs In addition, HQs would be higher if PBDEs were included. The results suggest that reduction of environmental contamination may contribute greatly to protecting this highly endangered species.

A review of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and alternative brominated flame retardants in wildlife from China: Levels, trends, and bioaccumulation characteristics

“…Yang et al (2008) determined PBDEs in blubber, liver, kidney, stomach, small intestine, and brain tissues of five Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis). This specie is the sole freshwater subspecies of finless porpoise, living only in the middle and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, and its appended lakes.…”

Accelerating population decline of Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis)

“…This decline is being driven by high levels of mortality resulting from anthropogenic impacts such as incidental by-catch in legal and illegal fishing gear, ship collisions, widespread sand dredging, pollution, and water development projects along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (Wang et al, 2000Yang et al, 2002Yang et al, , 2008aXia et al, 2005;Zheng et al, 2005;Zhao et al, 2008;Wang, 2009). The Yangtze is known as the ''golden channel'' of central China, and supports the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people through agriculture, aquaculture and industrial activities.…”

Determination of PAH, PCB, and OCP in water from the Three Gorges Reservoir accumulated by semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD)

“…Recent study of Yang et al (2008) found PCB concentrations in Yangtze finless porpoises, a protected endangered species of freshwater finless porpoise living in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were 0.06-1.89 lg g À1 lipid. The PCB concentrations in the porpoise were only comparable or even lower than those in some cetaceans studied previously.…”