Levels and profiles of chlorinated and brominated contaminants in Southern Hemisphere humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae Paulo R. Dorneles a,n , José Lailson-Brito b , Eduardo R. Secchi c , Alin C. Dirtu d,e , Liesbeth Weijs d,f , Luciano Dalla Rosa c , Manuela Bassoi c , Haydée A. Cunha b,g , Alexandre F. Azevedo b , Adrian Covaci d,f a Radioisotope Laboratory, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil b Aquatic Mammal and Bioindicator Laboratory (MAQUA), School of Oceanography, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), Brazil c Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, Brazil d Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium e Department of Chemistry, “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi, Romania f Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Belgium g Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular, Biology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil article info Article history: Received 19 November 2014 Received in revised form 4 February 2015 Accepted 5 February 2015 Keywords: Antarctic Peninsula Organohalogen compounds Methoxylated PBDEs Marine mammals Discriminant function analysis Year-to-year variation Sex-related differences Polar areas. abstract The study documents the levels and profiles of selected contaminants [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs)] in blubber biopsy samples collected from humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Antarctic Peninsula waters. In addition, we investigated year-to-year and sex-related differences in the bioaccumulation patterns. Except for hexachlorobenzene (HCB), whose concentrations were in the same range as those found in whales from the Northern Hemisphere, levels of all other compounds were lower in Southern Hemisphere whales compared to literature data on animals from the Arctic and subarctic region. The mean contribution to the sum of all anthropogenic organohalogen compounds (ΣOHC) de- creased in the following order ΣPCBs (44%) 4HCB (31%) 4ΣDDXs (13%) 4ΣCHLs (4.6%) 4ΣHCHs (4.4%) 4ΣPBDEs (0.9%). The predominant compounds within each chemical class were: PCBs 153, 149, 101 and 138; p,p′-DDE; γ-HCH; trans-nonachlor; PBDEs 99 and 47. The most dominant MeO-PBDE congener was 6-MeO-BDE 47. As samples were collected during three consecutive summer seasons, year-to-year trends could be assessed indicating a significant decrease from 2000 to 2003 for ΣCHL levels. Higher ΣPBDE concentrations and higher values of the ΣPBDE / ΣMeO-PBDE ratio, as well as higher ratios between the two MeO-BDEs (2′-MeO-BDE 68/6-MeO-BDE 47) were found in females compared to males. Higher ΣMeO-PBDE concentrations and higher values of the ratios between the lower chlorinated and the higher chlorinated PCBs were found in males than in females. In addition, five out of six significant differences found through discriminant function analysis were gender-related. The literature reports both feeding in mid- to low-latitudes and sex-related differences in migration patterns for humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere, indicating that the hypothesis of dietary differences between males and females cannot be excluded. Nevertheless, additional studies are required for further in- vestigation of this hypothesis. & 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Antarctica remains relatively protected from widespread hu- man disturbance, with the exception of small areas of significant environmental pollution from military and scientific activities (Conlan et al., 2004). This relative protection is a consequence of its remoteness and extreme climate conditions, which makes the whole continent a region of high ecotoxicological interest. Taking Contents lists available at ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envres Environmental Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2015.02.007 0013-9351/& 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. n Correspondence to: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF), Labor- atório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca (LREPF), Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 (Edifício do CCS), sala G0-62, Cidade Universitária, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Fax: þ55 21 22808193. E-mail addresses: dorneles@biof.ufrj.br, dornelespr@gmail.com (P.R. Dorneles). Environmental Research 138 (2015) 49–57