The distribution characteristics and pollution assessment of DDTs residues in tissues of ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) collected from Honghai Bay, Guangdong Province, China

The residues of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDTs) in tissues of ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) collected from Honghai Bay, Guangdong province, China was analyzed by gas chromatography. The test system was composed of Agilent 6890 N gas chromatography, a DB-1701 capillary column (30 m0.32 mm0.25 m), and a 63Ni micro electric capture detector. The results showed that contents of DDT (pp-DDT, pp-DDE, pp-DDD and op-DDT) ranged from 15.2 to 177.1 gkg-1 (wet weight), and positively related to lipid content in different tissues (R=0.9968, P0.01). The DDT contents in tissues from high to low was blubber, liver, stomach, heart, kidney, muscle, pancreas and lung. Compared with other cetaceans in different waters, the content level of DDT in the blubber of this whale sample was relatively low and harmless. The average ratio of DDE/DDT, pp-DDT/op-DDT were equal to 0.27 and 5.7, respectively, which indicated that DDT might be newly imported to Honghai Bay, possibly through the use of DDT-contained chemicals and the release of DDT residue from the environment.