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Updated: Sep 13, 2026

Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis
Published on: July 1, 2017
Does contamination with legacy persistent organic pollutants still prevail over emerging compounds in Arctic marine
Annika Jahnke1, Eva B Reiter2, Angelina Miller1
1Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Exposure Science, Permoserstr. 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany.
Abstract:
Transboundary pollution with harmful chemicals triggers research in remote regions such as the Arctic. Legacy and emerging hydrophobic organic contaminants, including persistent organic pollutants, biomagnify and are of particular concern in marine top predators and humans. Each chemical group can exceed effect thresholds in apex predators without considering mixture effects with other contaminants nor multiple stressor settings. We used silicone chemometers to investigate the contaminant profiles in blubber tissues collected from 84 individuals covering six Arctic marine mammal species from East Greenland during 2012-2021: long-finned pilot whales, white-beaked dolphins, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, killer whales, narwhal, and polar bears. Of 98 analyzed chemicals we found 53 at least once. We observed widespread contamination in which legacy, regulated pollutants and their degradation products prevailed over emerging compounds, both in terms of detection frequency and concentrations, and in numerous cases (up to 81%) at concentrations that exceeded indicative effect thresholds. The species showed distinct patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pyrethroids, musk compounds, antioxidants, and UV stabilizers. The highest contamination was observed for dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene and polychlorinated biphenyls in killer whales. No differences between sexes were found in pilot whales, but in some cases concentrations correlated with age. Our results stress the importance of reducing use and emissions of industrial chemicals to support protection of these iconic species in our planet's remotest regions.
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