Tissue concentrations of four Taiwanese toothed cetaceans indicating the silver and cadmium pollution in the western Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Muscle, lung, kidney and liver tissues of 45 bycatch and stranded cetaceans, including 14 Grampus griseus (Gg), 7 Kogia simus (Ks), 10 Lagenodelphis hosei (Lh), and 14 Stenella attenuata (Sa), were collected in the waters off Taiwan from 1994 to 1995, and from 2001 to 2012. Baseline concentrations (in μg g? 1 dry weight) of the cetaceans were lung (< 0.05) = muscle (< 0.05) < kidney (0.08 ± 0.04) < liver (0.43 ± 0.28) for Ag, and muscle (0.03 ± 0.03) = lung (0.22 ± 0.19) < liver (3.82 ± 3.50) < kidney (16.22 ± 18.81) for Cd. Unhealthy and critically dangerous Ag and Cd tissue concentrations in the toothed cetaceans are suggested. Marked high concentrations of Ag and Cd found in Gg and Lh are highly related to their squid-eating and deep diving habits. The highest ever recorded concentrations of liver-Ag and kidney-Cd were found in two Lh. These Taiwanese cetaceans indicate marked Ag and Cd pollution in the recent two decades in the western Pacific Ocean. ? 2017 Elsevier Ltd