Temporal Trends in Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs) in Blubber of Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida) from Ulukhaktok, NT, Canada Between 1981 and 2015

Blubber taken from ringed seals ( Pusa hispida ) during a subsistence hunt at Ulukhaktok, NT (formerly Holman, NWT) at intervals between 2002 and 2015 was analysed for polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners. Results from these analyses were combined with others previously published to yield a data set of 18 tri- to hepta-substituted PBDE congeners in 102 animals sampled over a span of 19 year (females) and 34 year (males). In females, mean total PBDE concentrations increased between 1996 and 2015 by approximately 50%, from 1940 to 2780 pg/g wet wt., although not significantly so ( p > 0.05) by one-way ANOVA. In males, concentrations ranged from 376 to 6470 pg/g wet wt. between 1981 and 2015 ( p