Substituted diphenylamine antioxidants and benzotriazole UV stabilizers in blood plasma of fish, turtles, birds and dolphins from North America

Abstract

Substituted diphenylamine antioxidants (SDPAs) and benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BZT-UVs) are additives used in industrial and commercial applications to prevent degradation by oxidation and are contaminants of emerging environmental concern. Little is known about the fate of these contaminants in wildlife, particularly in reptiles, birds and marine mammals. Nine SDPAs and six BZT-UVs were measured in blood plasma of seven fish species, snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina), double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from various locations in North America. Plasma SDPAs were more frequently (90–100%) detected and with higher concentrations (median: 25–270 pg g−1, wet weight (ww)) in organisms from urban areas than rural locations (median: <method limits of quantification −136 pg g−1). The concentrations of most SDPAs generally followed the order of fish ≥ snapping turtles > double-crested cormorants > bottlenose dolphins. Of the three quantifiable BZT-UVs, 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-pentylphenol (UV328) showed higher detection frequency in most species of fish, bird and turtle (range of 0–67%), indicating the widespread distribution of UV328 in the aquatic environment of lower Great Lakes region.