Bibliography of the Maurice Lamontagne Institute

Michelle NOËL

LEBEUF, M., M. NOËL, S. TROTTIER, L. MEASURES, 2007. Temporal trends (1987–2002) of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada. Sci. Total Environ., 383(1-3): 216-231 .

Temporal trends of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals were examined in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE), Canada. Blubber samples of 86 adult belugas were collected from animals stranded on the shore of the SLE between 1987 and 2002 and analyzed for several regulated PBTs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p''dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, chlordane (CHL) and related compounds, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and Mirex. In addition, time trends of tris(4-chlorophenyl) methane (TCPMe) and tris(4-chlorophenyl)methanol (TCPMOH), two compounds that may origin from DDT formulations, were also examined. Concentrations of most of the PBTs examined had exponentially decreased by at least a factor of two (half-life time (t_1/2)<15 years) in beluga between 1987 and 2002 while no increasing trends were observed for any of the PBTs measured. The decreasing trends of PBT concentrations in SLE beluga may be due to a decline in contamination of its diet following North American and international regulations on the use and production of these compounds or by a change in its diet itself or by a combination of both. Some PBTs did not exhibit any significant trends in beluga possibly because the most intense elimination phase subsequent to legislative regulations occurred prior to the 1987-2002 time period. Other chemicals, such γ-HCH, did not significantly decrease likely because they are still currently used in some restricted applications. Conversely, α-HCH showed a significant decreasing trend indicating that ∑HCHs is not representative of all HCHs. Both TCPMe and TCPMOH exhibited no trends in beluga during the time period examined. The metabolic capacity of SLE beluga has apparently accelerated the depletion of at least one PBT, namely CB-28/31. A significant relationship between the half-life of PBTs in beluga and log Kow was observed for most of the chemicals examined. Several factors are expected to have influenced the temporal changes of PBT concentrations in beluga which limit the usefulness of this species as a bioindicator of changes in PBT contamination in the SLE ecosystem. ©2007 Elsevier B.V.

LEBEUF, M., M. NOËL, S. TROTTIER, L. MEASURES, 2005. Temporal trends (1987 - 2002) of regulated POPs in beluga whales from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada. Organohalogen compounds, 67: 1233-1235 .

LEBEUF, M., M. NOËL, Y. CLERMONT, 2002. La contamination des ressources marines par les toxines. Saint-Laurent Vision 2000 (Suivi de l'état du Saint-Laurent, 22) 6 p. .

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LEBEUF, M., M. NOËL, Y. CLERMONT, 2002. Toxic contamination of marine resources. St. Lawrence Vision 2000 (Monitoring the state of the St. Lawrence River, 22) 6 p. .

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LEBEUF, M., K.E. BERNT, S. TROTTIER, M. NOËL, M.O. HAMMILL, L. MEASURES, 2000. Tris (4-chlorophenyl) methane and tris (4-chlorophenyl) methanol in marine mammals from the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Environ. Pollut., 111(1): 29-43 .

LEBEUF, M., K.E. BERNT, M. HAMMILL, M. NOËL, S. TROTTIER, 1998. Levels of tris (4-chlorophenyl) methane in seals and sediments from the estuary and gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. Organohalogen Compounds, 39: 445-448 .

GEARING, J.N., P.J. GEARING, M. NOËL, J.N. SMITH, 1994. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment of the St. Lawrence Estuary. Pages 58-64 in Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Aquatic Toxicity Workshop, October 17-21, 1993, Quebec City, Quebec. Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 1989) .

GEARING, J.N., M. NOËL, J. TRONCZYNSKI, 1992. 200 years of varying hydrocarbon pollution in the St. Lawrence : the sedimentary record. Pages 87-99 in Comptes rendus, 7e Congrès régional de l'est, 16 septembre 1991, Centre océanographique de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski. Association canadienne de la recherche sur la pollution de l'eau et sa maîtrise .

TREMBLAY, G.-H., J.N. GEARING, M. NOËL, 1992. Méthodes d'analyse et résultats sur les concentrations en hydrocarbures aliphatiques dans les sédiments du fleuve Saint-Laurent. Rapp. stat. can. hydrogr. sci. océan., 103, 54 p .

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A sampling cruise on the St. Lawrence River was carried out with the MV PETREL V in September 1988. The analytical methods used, and the data describing the distribution of the aliphatic hydrocarbons in the sediments are presented in the following report. This study was supported in part by the St. Lawrence Action Plan.