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Temporal Trends (1992–2007) of Perfluorinated Chemicals in Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from South-Central Alaska

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Abstract

Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been detected in abiotic and biotic matrices worldwide, including the Arctic Ocean. Considering these chemicals’ persistent and bioaccumulative potentials, it was expected that levels of PFCs, like those of many legacy organic pollutants, would respond slowly to the restrictions in production and usage. Temporal trend studies in remote areas, such as the Arctic, can help determine the chronology of contamination and the response of the environment to regulations on PFCs. Prior to this study, temporal trends of PFCs in Alaskan coastal waters had not been examined. In the present study, concentrations of six PFCs were determined in livers of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) collected from three areas in south-central Alaska (Prince William Sound, n = 36; Resurrection Bay, n = 7; Kachemak Bay, n = 34) from 1992 to 2007. Additionally, previously published profiles and concentrations of PFCs in southern sea otters from California and Asian sea otters from Kamchatka (Russia) were compared to our new data, to determine the geographical differences in PFC profiles among these three regions in the Pacific Ocean. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) were the predominant PFCs found in the livers of northern sea otters from 1992 to 2007. Other PFCs, such as perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnDA), and perfluorodecanoate (PFDA), were detected less frequently, and at low concentrations. Overall, from 2001 to 2007, a decrease in concentrations of PFOS was found in northern sea otters, suggesting an immediate response to the phase-out in 2000 of perfluorooctanesulfonyl-based compounds by a major producer in the United States. In contrast, concentrations of PFNA in northern sea otters increased by 10-fold from 2004 to 2007. These results indicate that the contribution by PFNA to ΣPFC concentrations is increasing in northern sea otters. The profiles (i.e., composition of individual PFC to ΣPFC concentration) of PFCs in northern sea otters from Alaska were similar to those reported for southern sea otters from California, but were considerably different from the profiles reported for Asian sea otters from Russia, suggesting differences in point sources of exposure.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Marine Mammals Management office in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to thank Dana Jenksi, Cara Hotchkin, Angela Doroff, and Douglas Burn (USFWS) for their help and support. Numerous members of the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network called in or collected beach-cast carcasses that were used for this project. A collaboration between USFWS and a native-Alaskan organization, the Sea Otter and Steller Sea Lion Commission, allowed for the utilization of hunter-killed animals. This work was conducted under USFWS permit number MA041309–1, and the IACUC approval for that permit was through the University of Alaska Anchorage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12201-0509, USA

    Kimberly Hart & Kurunthachalam Kannan

  2. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS 341, Anchorage, AK, 99503, USA

    Verena A. Gill

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  1. Kimberly Hart
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  2. Verena A. Gill
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Correspondence to Kurunthachalam Kannan.

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Hart, K., Gill, V.A. & Kannan, K. Temporal Trends (1992–2007) of Perfluorinated Chemicals in Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from South-Central Alaska. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 56, 607–614 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-008-9242-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-008-9242-2

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