Abstract
Copper concentrations were determined in muscle, liver, kidney, spleen and lung tissues of three dolphin species. Dolphins of Tursiops truncatus (young and adult), Stenella coeruleoalba and Grampus griseus were stranded along the Croatian coast. Concentrations in tissues of all three dolphin species were highest in the liver (4.92–16.5 μg/g) followed by kidney (2.85–5.29 μg/g). Similar levels were measured in muscle, spleen and lung in range 1.13–3.67 μg/g. Statistics analysis showed significant differences of Cu concentrations for muscle (p = 0.008), kidney (p = 0.04) and liver (p = 0.02) between the three dolphin species. Also, for all three species significant differences between tissue types of the same species were determined (p < 0.001, all). However, there were no significant differences in Cu levels of the same tissues between males and females within same species. Also, significant differences of body length and weight between three dolphin were found (p < 0.001, both).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andre J, Boudou A, Ribeyre F, Bernhard M (1991) Comparative study of mercury accumulation in dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from French Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Sci Total Environ 104:191–209
Becker PR, Mackey EA, Demiralp R, Suydam R, Early G, Koster BJ, Wise SA (1995) Relationship of silver with selenium and mercury in the liver of two species of toothed whales (odontocetes). Mar Pollut Bull 30:262–271
Capelli R, Drava G, De Pellegrini R, Minganti V, Poggi R (2000) Study of trace elements in organs and tissues of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) found dead along the Ligurian coasts (Italy). Adv Environ Res 4:31–43
Capelli R, Das K, De Pellegrini R, Drava G, Lepoint G, Miglio C, Minganti V, Poggi R (2008) Distribution of trace elements in organs of six species of cetaceans from the Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean), and the relationship with stable carbon and nitrogen ratios. Sci Total Environ 390:569–578
Cardellicchio N, Giandomenico S, Ragone P, Di Leo A (2000) Tissue distribution of metals in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Apulian coasts, Southern Italy. Mar Environ Res 49:55–66
Cardellicchio N, Decataldo A, Di Leo A, Misino A (2002) Accumulation and tissue distribution of mercury and selenium in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Mediterranean Sea (Southern Italy). Environ Pollut 116:265–271
Das K, Beans C, Holsbeek L, Mauger G, Berrow SD, Rogan E, Bouquegneau JM (2003) Marine mammals from northeast Atlantic: relationship between their trophic status as determined by d 13C and d15N measurements and their trace metal concentrations. Mar Environ Res 56:349–365
Đuras Gomerčić M (2006) Growth, sexual dimorphism and morphometric features a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821) from the Adriatic Sea. Dissertation, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb
Frodello JP, Viale D, Marchand B (2002) Metal concentrations in milk and tissues of a nursing Tursiops truncatus female. Mar Pollut Bull 44:551–576
Gomercic H, Duras M, Lucic H, Gomercic T, Huber D, Skrtic D, Curkovic S, Galov A, Vukovic S (2002) Cetacean mortality in Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea in period from 1990 till February 2002. In: Proceedings 9th international congress on the zoogeography and ecology of greece and adjacent regions, Thessaloniki, Greece, 22–25 May 2002
Hohn AA, Scott MD, Wells RS, Sweeney J, Irvine AB (1998) Growth layers in teeth from wild, known-age bottlenose dolphins. Mar Mamm Sci 5:315–342
Holsbeek L, Siebert U, Joiris CR (1998) Heavy metals in dolphins stranded on the French Atlantic coast. Sci Total Environ 217:241–249
Kunito T, Nakamura S, Ikemoto T, Anan Y, Kubota R, Tanabe S, Rosas FCW, Fillmann G, Readman JW (2004) Concentration and subcellular distribution of trace elements in liver of small cetaceans incidentally caught along the Brazilian coast. Mar Pollut Bull 49:574–587
Law RJ, Jones BR, Baker JR, Kennedy S, Milne R, Morris RJ (1992) Trace metals in the livers of marine mammals from the Welsh coast and the Irish Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 24:296–304
McDonald P, Edwards RA, Greenhalgh JFD, Morgan CA, Sinclair L, Wilkinson R (2010) Animal nutrition, 7th edn. Pearson Education Limited, Harlow
Monaci F, Borrel A, Leonzio C, Marsili L, Calzada N (1998) Trace elements in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the western Mediterranean. Environ Pollut 99:61–68
Monteiro SS, Torres J, Ferreira M, Marçalo A, Nicolau L, Vingada JV, Eira C (2016) Ecological variables influencing trace element concentrations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu 1821) stranded in continental Portugal. Sci Total Environ 544:837–844
Poldan I (2004) Analysis of the jaw (Cephalopoda) from the stomachs of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Adriatic Sea. Student work. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb
Roditi-Elasar M, Kerem D, Hornung H, Kress N, Shoham-Frider E, Goffman O, Spanier E (2003) Heavy metal levels in bottlenose and striped dolphins off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Mar Pollut Bull 46:503–512
Shoham-Frider E, Amiel S, Roditi-Elasar M, Kress N (2002) Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) stranding on the coast of Israel (eastern Mediterranean). Autopsy results and trace metal concentrations. Sci Total Environ 295:157–166
Shoham-Frider E, Kress N, Wynne D, Scheinin A, Roditi-Elsar M, Kerem D (2009) Persistent organochlorine pollutants and heavy metals in tissues of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from the Levantine Basin of the Eastern Mediterranean. Chemosphere 77:621–627
Slooten E (1991) Age, growth, and reproduction in Hector’s dolphins. Can J Zool 69:1689–1700
Storelli MM, Marcotrigiano GO (2000) Environmental contamination in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): relationship between levels of metals, methylmercury, and organochlorine compounds in an adult female, her neonate, and a calf. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 64:333–340
Storelli MM, Marcotrigiano GO (2002) Subcellular distribution of heavy metals in livers and kidneys of Stenella coeruleoalba and Tursiops truncatus from the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 44:71–81
Wafo E, Risoul V, Schembri T, Lagadec V, Dhermain F, Mama C, Boissery P, Portugal H (2014) Methylmercury and trace element distribution in the organs of Stenella coeruleoalba dolphins stranded on the French Mediterranean Coast. Open Environ Sci 8:35–48
Wagemann R, Stewart REA, Lockhart WL, Stewart BE, Povoledo M (1988) Trace metals and methyl mercury: associations and transfer in harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) mothers and their pups. Mar Mamm Sci 4:339–355
Woshner VM, O’Hara TM, Bratton GR, Suydam RS, Beasley VR (2001) Concentrations and interactions of selected essential and non-essential elements in bowhead and beluga wales of Arctic Alaska. J Wildl Dis 37(4):693–710
Zhou JL, Salvador SM, Liu YP, Sequeira M (2001) Heavy metals in the tissues of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) stranded on the Portuguese coast. Sci Total Environ 273:61–76
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bilandžić, N., Đokić, M., Sedak, M. et al. Copper Levels in Tissues of Dolphins Tursiops truncatus, Stenella coeruleoalba and Grampus griseus from the Croatian Adriatic Coast. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 97, 367–373 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1845-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1845-0