PBDEs and emerging flame retardants in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) and minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from the St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada) and Canadian Arctic belugas

The endangered St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga population is in decline despite multiple protection measures and exposure to organohalogen contaminants have been proposed as an explanation for its lack of recovery. Elevated levels of halogenated flame retardants (HFR) were indeed observed in SLE beluga tissues during the 1990s. The objective of this dataset was to investigate the occurrence of HFRs (35 PBDE congeners and 13 emerging compounds) in the blubber of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) and minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from the St. Lawrence as well as belugas from Nunavik where the species is targeted by Inuit subsistence hunt. Methods of sample and data collection were detailed in Simond et al. (2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.03.058). In summary, tissue samples (blubber and skin) from the St. Lawrence region were collected on fresh beluga and minke whale carcasses stranded ashore. Tissue samples from Nunavik region were collected on beluga carcasses landed during Inuit subsistence hunt. The age of belugas was determined according to Stewart et al. (2006). Sample extraction and clean-up and HFR concentration measurements were conducted…

Publisher

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Resources

3

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-03-24