Increasing perfluoroalkyl contaminants in east greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus): a new toxic threat to the Arctic bears

Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Apr 1;42(7):2701-7. doi: 10.1021/es7025938.

Abstract

A well-defined subsample of 128 subadult (3-5 years) polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from 19 sampling years within the period 1984-2006 was investigated for perfluoroalkyl contaminants (PFCs). Linear regression analysis of logarithmic-transformed median concentrations showed significant annual increases for PFOS (4.7%), PFNA (6.1%), PFUnA (5.9%), PFDA (4.3%), PFTrA (8.5%), PFOA (2.3%), and PFDoA (5.2%). For four of the PFCs, a LOESS smoother model provided significantly better descriptions, revealing steeper linear annual increases for PFOSA of 9.2% after 1990 and between 18.6 and 27.4% for PFOS, PFDA, and PFTrA after 2000. Concentrations of SigmaPFCs, by 2006, exceeded the concentrations of all conventional OHCs (organohalogen compounds), of which several have been documented to correlate with a number of negative health effects. If the PFC concentrations in polar bears continue to increase with the steepest observed trends, then the lowest no-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and lowest-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) detected for rats and monkeys will be exceeded in 2014-2024. In addition, the rapidly increasing concentrations of PFCs are likely to cause cumulative and combined effects on the polar bear, compounding the already detected threats from OHCs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Fluorocarbons / toxicity*
  • Greenland
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Ursidae

Substances

  • Fluorocarbons