DOI: 10.1594/pangaea.810194
title: (Table 1) Concentrations of neutral and phenolic organohalogen compounds in adipose tissue, blood, brain and liver of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from East Greenland

description: The tissue-specific composition of sum classes of brominated and chlorinated contaminants and metabolic/degradation byproducts was determined in adult male and female polar bears from East Greenland. Significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher concentrations of SUM-PCBs, various other organochlorines such as SUM-CHL, p,p'-DDE, SUM-CBz, SUM-HCHs, octachlorostyrene (OCS),SUM-mirex, dieldrin, the flame retardants SUM-PBDEs, and total-(R)-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), SUM-methylsulfonyl (MeSO2)-PCBs and 3-MeSO2-p,p'-DDE, were found in the adipose and liver tissues relative to whole blood and brain. In contrast, SUM-hydroxyl (OH)-PCB, 4-OH-heptachlorostyrene and SUM-OH-PBDE concentrations were significantly highest (p &lt; 0.05) in whole blood, whereas the highest concentrations of SUM-OH-PBBs were found in the adipose tissue. Based on the total concentrations of all organohalogens in all three tissues and blood, the combined body burden was estimated to be 1.34 ± 0.12 g, where &gt;91% of this amount was accounted for by the adipose tissue alone, followed by the liver, whole blood, and brain. These results show that factors such as protein association and lipid solubility appear to be differentially influencing the toxicokinetics, in terms of tissue composition/localization and burden, of organohalogen classes with respect to chemical structure and properties such as the type of halogenation (e.g., chlorination or bromination), and the presence or absence of additional phenyl group substituents (e.g., MeO and OH groups). The tissue- and blood-specific accumulation (or retention) among organohalogen classes indicates that exposure and any potential contaminant-mediated effects in these polar bears are likely tissue or blood specific.
description: Sample number is n = 20, unless otherwise indicated.Sum-PCB = CB-28/31,-42,-44,-49,-52,-60,-64/71,-66/95,-70,-74,-84/101,-87,-97,-99,-105,-110,-118,-128,-129/178,-138,-141,-146,-149,-151,-153,-156/171/202,-158,-170/190,-172,-174,-177,-179,-180,-182/187,-183,-194,-195,-196/203,-200,-201,and-206Sum-MeSO2-PCB: 3'/4'-MeSO2-CB49,3/4-MeSO2-CB52,3/4-MeSO2-CB64,3/4-MeSO2-CB70,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB87,3/4-MeSO2-CB91,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB101,3/4-MeSO2-CB110,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB132,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB141,3/4-MeSO2-CB149,3/4-MeSO2-CB174Sum-OH-PCB: 4'-OH-CB79,4-OH-CB97,4'-OH-CB101/4-OH-CB134,4-OH-CB107/4'-OH-CB108,2'-OH-CB114,3-OH-CB118,4'-OH-CB120,4'-OH-CB127,4'-OH-CB130,3'-OH-CB138,4-OH-CB146,4'-OH-CB159,4-OH-CB162,4-OH-CB163,4'-OH-CB172,4'-OH-CB177,4-OH-CB178,3'-OH-CB180,3'-OH-CB182,3'-OH-CB183,3'-OH-CB184,4-OH-CB187,4-OH-CB193,4'-OH-CB199,4'-OH-CB200,4'-OH-CB201,4'-OH-CB202,4,4'-diOH-CB202,3'-OH-CB203/4'-OH-CB198,4'-OH-CB208.Sum-CHL: oxychlordane, frans-chlordane, c/s-chlordane, frans-nonachlor, c/s-nonachlor, heptachlor-epoxide. Sum-CBz: PeCBz, HCB. h 2-HCH: a-, ß-, y-HCH. Sum-PBDE: BDE-17,28,-47,-66,-85,-99,-100,-138,-153,-154,-183,-190,-209. Sum-OH-PBDE: 6'-OH-BDE17, 6'-OH-BDE17, 6'-OH-BDE49, 2'-OH-BDE68, 6-OH-BDE47, 3-OH-BDE47, 5-OH-BDE47, 4'-OH-BDE49, 4-OH-BDE42, 6-OH-BDE90, 6-OH-BDE99, 2-OH-BDE123, 6-OH-BDE85, 6-OH-BDE137.Sum-OH-PBB: one tribrominated and two tetra-brominated OH-PBB. Sum-MeO-PBDE: 4'-MeO-BDE17, 6'-MeO-BDE17, 2'-MeO-BDE28, 4-MeO-BDE42, 3-MeO-BDE47, 5-MeO-BDE47, 6-MeO-BDE47, 4'-MeO-BDE49, 6'-MeO-BDE49, 2'-MeO-BDE68, 6-MeO-BDE85, 6-MeO-BDE90, 6-MeO-BDE99, 2-MeO-BDE123, 6-MeO-BDE137. Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150
description: Supplement to: Gebbink, Wouter A; Sonne, Christian; Dietz, Rune; Kirkegaard, Maja; Born, Erik W; Muir, Derek C G; Letcher, Robert J (2008): Target tissue selectivity and burdens of diverse classes of brominated and chlorinated contaminants in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from East Greenland. Environmental Science & Technology, 42(3), 752-759