| Citation | Keogh, M. J., B. Taras, K. B. Beckmen, K. A. Burek-Huntington, G. M. Ylitalo, B. S. Fadely, L. Rea, K. W. Pitcher. In press. Organochlorine contaminant concentrations in blubber of young Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) are influenced by region, age, sex, and lipid stores. Science of the Total Environment. |
| Title | Organochlorine contaminant concentrations in blubber of young Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) are influenced by region, age, sex, and lipid stores |
| Author | Mandy J. Keogh, Brian Taras, K. B. Beckmen, Kathleen A. Burek-Huntington, Gina M. Ylitalo, Brian S. Fadely, L. Rea, Kenneth W. Pitcher |
| Publication Year | In press |
| Journal | Science of the Total Environment |
| Keywords | organochlorine contaminants, Steller sea lion, lipid stores, body condition, biological factors, |
| Abstract | Contaminant exposure is particularly important for species and populations of conservation concern, such as the
Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). We used blubber samples (n=120) to determine organochlorine concentrations,
including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDTs), and blood
samples (n = 107) to estimate total body lipids based on the hydrogen isotope dilution method. We assessed
the influence of age, sex, condition, and geographic area on contaminant concentrations in blubber and contaminant
body load. The concentration of ¿PCBswas highest in pups (b6 months) from the Aleutian Islands, and the
concentrations in males were higher than females in all regions. The ¿PCBs and ¿DDTs concentrations and loads
decreasedwith increasing mass in pups, however, therewere no regional or sex differences in contaminant load.
Within each of the five age classes, the concentrations of ¿PCBs and ¿DDTs decreased with increasing mass, but
overall these OCs increased with age. Further, accounting for the lipid content, a potential proxy for energy balance, in the animal load reduced or removed the regional and sex effects present in age models for contaminants.
We propose, that adjusting OCs concentration by the lipid content of the blubber sample alone may not
fully account for the variability in OC concentrations associatedwith differences in condition or energy states between
young Steller sea lions.
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