Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in New Zealand's Hector's dolphin

The analysis of Hector's dolphin for PCDDs and PCDFs has been undertaken to provide data on the levels of these contaminants in New Zealand's coastal waters and thereby information on the extent of their distribution throughout the global environment. Using isomer specific methodology the blubber of 6 dolphin samples from the South Island of New Zealand have been found to contain unexpected amounts of 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2,3,7,8-TCDF, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF with only minor amounts of other 2,3,7,8-chlorinated isomers. No non 2,3,7,8-substituted isomers were detected. For both male and female dolphins the overall congener distributions are similar, and mirror that reported for other aquatic biota.