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Assessing persistent organic pollutant (POP) levels across regions helps evaluate environmental health and determine ecological risks. As an apex predator, the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) serves as an excellent model for understanding POP exposure and impact in Eastern North Atlantic marine ecosystems. In this study, we collected biopsy samples of common dolphins in two ecoregions, the pelagic system of Madeira Island (Portugal) (n = 30) and in the continental shelf of Northwest Portugal (n = 14) to analyse organochlorine concentrations (PCBs, DDTs, Mirex, HCB) from their blubber. For both ecoregions, PCBs comprised the largest proportion of the total measured organochlorines (60% in Madeira Island and 85% in Northwest Portugal), followed by DDTs, and lastly, HCB. Considerable differences in the organochlorine profile were identified between samples from Madeira and Northwest Portugal, with common dolphins showing higher PCB loads in Northwest Portugal (53 ± 37 μg g -1 lw) compared to Madeira Island (11 ± 4.8 μg g -1 lw). The high levels of PCBs found in individuals from mainland Portugal - reaching values up to 140 μg g -1 lw - are some of the highest reported for the species worldwide, considerably exceeding toxicity thresholds. This is of particular concern as they may be potentially affecting important physiological processes of the animals. These results highlight the poor habitat quality in one of the studied regions, with potential impacts on ecosystem health, while offering valuable insights into the population structure of a species that remains understudied for effective management and conservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are halogenated contaminants found globally. Cetaceans are impacted by these pollutants, and nowadays, it is essential to understand their presence to mitigate their impacts. This study aimed to establish baseline levels of POPs in the blubber of Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) within the Subantarctic ecosystem. A wide range of POPs concentrations were measured among individuals: ΣPCBs from 289.5 to 15264 ng g -1 lw and ΣDDTs from 540.4 to 17657 ng g -1 lw. Levels of HCB and mirex ranged from 48 to 1703.7 ng g -1 lw and 5.1-1917.4 ng g -1 lw, respectively. The predominant POPs were mid-to high molecular weight PCBs (hexa-PCBs), consistent with other findings in cetaceans of the southern hemisphere. The mean ratio of ΣDDT/ΣPCB was 0.44, with p,p'-DDE/ΣDDT at 0.56, indicating p,p'-DDE as the dominant DDT isomer. Furthermore, differences in POP concentrations were observed based on sexual maturity, with mature males exhibiting higher levels of ƩPCBs, HCB, ƩDDT, and mirex. Age and total body length of animals were strongly correlated with POP concentrations. Our study provides valuable insights into the pollutant status of POPs in the Subantarctic population of Commerson's dolphins inhabiting the southernmost coastal regions of South America., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The assessment of chemical pollution in free-ranging living mammals is viable using remote biopsies and portrays a comprehensive scenario of environmental health. The Southwestern Atlantic Ocean holds incredible biodiversity, but it is under the constant and invisible threat of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) of anthropogenic origin, such as pesticides, brominated flame retardants, and industrial-use compounds (e.g., PCBs). Thus, this study aimed to assess the bioaccumulation of POPs (PCBs, DDTs, HCB, mirex and PBDEs) and natural organobromine compounds (MeO-BDEs) using gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in biopsy samples of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis, n = 20) that inhabit and forage both inside and in adjacent areas to degraded (Guanabara Bay) and conserved (Ilha Grande Bay) coastal bays in the Southeastern Brazil. Among the studied compounds, PCBs were predominant in the contamination profile with median concentration of 97.0 μg.g -1 lipid weight (lw), followed by the sum of the p,p' isomers of DDT, DDD, and DDE of 11.0 μg.g -1 lw, the brominated flame retardants PBDEs of 1.6 μg.g -1 lw, and the other organochlorine pesticides mirex of 0.78 μg.g -1 lw, and HCB of 0.049 μg.g -1 lw. The MeO-BDEs were detected with a median concentration of 22.8 μg.g -1 lw. 85 % of the Atlantic spotted dolphins analyzed in this study presented PCB concentration that exceeded even the less conservative threshold limits for adverse health effects (41 μg.g -1 lw). This study shows that despite the conservation status of preserved bays, cetacean species foraging in these locations are still under increased threat. Hence chemical pollution demands local and global efforts to be mitigated., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis, are vulnerable to extinction along their distribution on the Brazilian coast and assessing chemical pollution is of utmost importance for their conservation. For this study, 51 carcasses of Guiana dolphins were sampled across the Brazilian coast to investigate legacy and emerging brominated flame retardants (BFRs) as well as the naturally-produced MeO-BDEs. PBDEs and MeO-BDEs were detected in all samples analyzed, whereas emerging BFRs were detected in 16 % of the samples, all in Rio de Janeiro state. PBDE concentrations varied between 2.24 and 799 ng.g -1 lipid weight (lw), emerging BFRs between 0.12 and 1.51 ng.g -1 lw and MeO-BDEs between 3.82 and 10,247 ng.g -1 lw. Concentrations of legacy and emerging BFRs and natural compounds varied considerably according to the sampling site and reflected both the local anthropogenic impact of the region and the diversity/mass of biosynthesizers. The PBDE concentrations are lower than what was found for delphinids in the Northern Hemisphere around the same sampling period and most sampling sites presented mean concentrations lower than the limits for endocrine disruption known to date for marine mammals of 460 ng.g -1 lw, except for sampled from Santa Catarina state, in Southern Brazil. Conversely, MeO-BDE concentrations are higher than those of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly close to the Abrolhos Bans and Royal Charlotte formation, that are hotspots for biodiversity. Despite the elevated concentrations reported for this group, there is not much information regarding the effects of such elevated concentrations for these marine mammals. The distinct patterns observed along the Brazilian coast show that organobrominated compounds can be used to identify the ecological segregation of delphinids and that conservation actions should be planned considering the local threats., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Kogia sima and Kogia breviceps are apex predators of mesopelagic trophic webs being far from most anthropogenic threats. However, chemical pollutants and naturally synthesized compounds may travel long distances. This study aimed to use kogiid whales as sentinels of mesopelagic trophic webs in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and metabolites, mirex, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB) and hexabromobenzene (HBB), and the naturally produced methoxylated BDE (MeO-BDEs) were determined in the blubber of 16 K. sima and 15 K. breviceps. Among the organochlorine compounds, DDTs were the main group found in K. sima and in K. breviceps (1636.6 and 3983.3 ng g -1 lw, respective medians), followed by PCBs (425.9 and 956.1 ng g -1 lw, respectively), mirex (184.1 and 375.6 ng g -1 lw, respectively), and HCB (132.4 and 340.3 ng g -1 lw, respectively). As for the organobromine, the natural MeO-BDEs were predominant (1676.7 and 501.6 ng g -1 lw, respectively), followed by PBDEs (13.6 and 10.3 ng g -1 lw, respectively) and PBEB (2.2 and 2.9 ng g -1 lw, respectively). In general, POPs concentration was higher in K. breviceps than in K. sima. Conversely, MeO-BDEs concentration was higher in K. sima than in K. breviceps. Differences in concentrations in these sympatric odontocetes were attributed to distinct species, sampling sites, and biological parameters and suggest some level of niche segregation. It is noteworthy the long-range reach and bioaccumulation of these synthetic compounds in an unexplored habitat, that present an increasing economic interest., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Organic contaminants with toxic effects, like the conventional brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and BFRs of emergent concern, and their synergistic effects with other micropollutants, can be an additional threat to delphinids. Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) populations strongly associated with coastal environments already face a potential risk of decline due to high exposure to organochlorine pollutants. Moreover, natural organobromine compounds are important indicators of the environment's health. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), hexabromobenzene (HBB) and the methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-BDEs) were determined in the blubber of rough-toothed dolphins from three ecological populations from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (Southeastern, Southern and Outer Continental Shelf/Southern populations, SE, S, and OCS/S, respectively). The profile was dominated by the naturally produced MeO-BDEs (mainly 2'-MeO-BDE 68 and 6-MeO-BDE 47), followed by the anthropogenic BFRs PBDEs (mainly BDE 47). Median ΣMeO-BDE concentrations varied between 705.4 and 3346.0 ng g -1 lw among populations and ΣPBDE from 89.4 until 538.0 ng g -1 lw. Concentrations of anthropogenic organobromine compounds (ΣPBDE, BDE 99 and BDE 100) were higher in SE population than in OCS/S, indicating a coast - ocean gradient of contamination. Negative correlations were found between the concentration of the natural compounds and age, suggesting their metabolization and/or biodilution and maternal transference. Conversely, positive correlations were found between the concentrations of BDE 153 and BDE 154 and age, indicating low biotransformation capability of these heavy congeners. The levels of PBDEs found are concerning, particularly for SE population, because they are similar to concentrations known for the onset of endocrine disruption in other marine mammals and may be an additional threat to a population in a hotspot for chemical pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

On November 5th, 2015, the Fundão dam collapsed in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, releasing millions of cubic meters of mud containing mining residue into the Doce River. Two weeks later, the mud arrived to the marine environment, triggering changes in franciscana dolphin habitat, Pontoporia blainvillei, from Franciscana Management Area Ia. This is an isolated population of the most endangered cetacean species in the South Atlantic Ocean. Organohalogen compounds (OHCs) may pose a threat to this endangered population because of their endocrine disrupting properties. Hence, this study sought to determine if there were differences in the bioaccumulation profile of OHC (PCBs, DDTs, Mirex, HCB, HCHs, PBDEs, PBEB, HBBZ and MeO-BDEs) in franciscana dolphins before and after dam collapse and to build a temporal trend. Blubber of 33 stranded individuals was collected in Espírito Santo state for organohalogen assessment between 2003 and 2019. Differences were found between franciscana dolphins collected prior to and after the disaster. Additionally, significant temporal trends for organochlorine pesticides and natural and anthropogenic organobromine were detected. The increase in pesticide concentrations after 2015 is suggestive of their reavailability in the environment. The decline in organobromine over time could be due to their debromination in the marine environment and alterations in the composition of their natural producers. PCBs remained stable during the period of the study. Our findings show an increase in endocrine disruptor concentrations, which is of great concern for this endangered population., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rough-toothed dolphins, Steno bredanensis , are closely associated with coastal waters in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, increasing the exposure to multiple stressors, such as chemical pollution. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are known to affect the health of cetacean species. To comprehend the potential impacts of POPs on populations' viability, it is necessary to distinguish populations and predict their risk of long-term exposure. Blubbers of rough-toothed dolphins ( n = 28) collected along the southeastern (SE) and southern (S) Brazilian coast were screened for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides in a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. Based on the contamination profile, a discriminant function analysis separated the rough-toothed dolphins into three ecological populations: two coastal and one offshore. POP concentrations were the highest reported for the species worldwide and highest among the delphinids in Brazilian waters, reaching 647.9 μg g -1 lw for PCBs. The SE population presented 212.9 ± 163.0, S population presented 101.0 ± 96.7, and OCS/S population presented 183.3 ± 85.3 μg g -1 lw (mean ± SD) of PCBs. The potential risk of effects triggered by elevated PCB concentrations was assessed in an individual-based model. A risk of severe decline in population size is projected for the three populations in the next 100 years, especially in SE Brazil, varying between 67 and 99%.

To validate the Portuguese version of the quality of life questionnaire of the European foundation for osteoporosis (QUALEFFO-41) in Brazilian women with osteoporotic vertebral fractures (VF). A questionnaire validation study of 86 postmenopausal women was conducted. Women were divided into two groups: 43 in a group with VF and 43 in a group without osteoporosis, age-matched (±3 years). The QUALEFFO-41 questionnaire was administered twice in 4 weeks and compared to a generic questionnaire SF-36. For analysis of the QUALEFFO-41, internal consistency, repeatability, and discriminant capacity between VF patients and control patients were assessed. The significance level adopted was 5 %. The mean age of the women was 66.1 ± 7.2 years for the group with VF and 64.9 ± 6.3 years for the control group (p = 0.4259). The QUALEFFO showed adequate internal consistency in all domains (Cronbach's α of 0.74 to 0.84) and good repeatability (ICC of domains = 0.67-0.90). Of the total questions, 92.6 % demonstrated satisfactory convergent validity, and 95 % of the questions showed good discriminant validity. The mean scores of both questionnaires were significantly higher in the group with VF. There was a good correlation among the QUALEFFO-41 domains and their corresponding SF-36 domains, except for social function. All QUALEFFO-41 domains were significantly predictive of VF on assessment of the ROC curve. The Portuguese version of the QUALEFFO-41 may be used in Brazilian women with osteoporotic VF because it shows good reliability, repeatability, and validity. It was also shown to impair quality of life (QOL) in women with VF and had good ability to discriminate QOL in women with osteoporotic VF.

Unlabelled: The prevalence of vertebral fracture was high in postmenopausal Brazilian osteoporotic women; quality of life was impaired regardless of vertebral fractures, despite a direct correlation between the number of vertebral fractures and a worse quality of life score., Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of vertebral fractures (VF), quality of life (QOL), association between number of VF and QOL scores, and correlate the factors associated with QOL in a sample of postmenopausal Brazilian women with osteoporosis., Methods: A cross-sectional study of 126 postmenopausal osteoporotic women aged 55-80 years was conducted. Women were interviewed about sociodemographic and clinical data, responded to QUALEFFO-41 questionnaire, and underwent vertebral radiography to measure the anterior, mean, and posterior height at each vertebra (T4 to L5). VF were classified as anterior wedge, posterior wedge, central collapse, and crush. Data was expressed as means (±SD) and frequencies, Mann-Whitney or Student's T tests were used to compare means, and odds ratio and 95 % confidence interval were used for multiple regression analysis. Values were significant when P value < 0.05., Results: The mean age was 65.7 ± 6.3 years, age at menopause was 46.5 ± 6.8 years and T score of the lumbar spine was -2.77 ± 0.58. The prevalence of VF was 34.1 % (43/126) and the most prevalent type of VF was anterior wedge (45.9 %). There was no difference in QUALEFFO-41 scores between women with and without VF, although there was a direct correlation between QOL scores and number of VF. Factors associated with worse QOL were non-white skin color, obesity, unemployment, sedentary lifestyle, low level of school education, and non-use of osteoporosis drugs., Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of VF in Brazilian postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. QOL was impaired regardless of VF, despite a direct correlation between number of VF and a worse QOL score.

Objective: To evaluate quality of life (QoL) in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, correlating the QUALEFFO 41 with the short-form health survey 36 (SF-36) and evaluated some factors that can influenced the QoL of women with osteoporosis., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 220 postmenopausal women (ages ranging from 55 to 80 years). Of the total number, 110 women had osteoporosis and 110 women did not have osteoporosis and these women were age-matched (+/-3 years). Two questionnaires were administered to all subjects for evaluation of QoL: the quality of life questionnaire of the European foundation for Osteoporosis 41 (QUALEFFO 41) and the short-form health survey 36 (SF-36). For data analysis, a significance level of 5% was set (p<0.05)., Results: Clinical characteristics between the groups were similar, with statistically significant differences only in body mass index (BMI), race, school education, age at menopause and use of hormone therapy (HT) (p<0.001). Women with osteoporosis had a worse QoL both in the QUALEFFO 41 and in the SF-36, in all domains studied. Data was adjusted for BMI, race, school education and use of HT (p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between all domains in the QUALEFFO 41 questionnaire and their corresponding domains in the SF-36 (p<0.001). The only factors related to worse QoL were BMI>25 and sedentary lifestyle. In contrast, paid work was associated with a better QoL (CI=95%)., Conclusion: Women with osteoporosis had an impaired QoL, especially relating to the physical, psychological and social aspects. The factors associated with QoL were obesity, sedentary lifestyle and paid work.