Declining concentrations of persistent PCBs, PBDEs, PCDEs, and PCNs in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the Salish Sea.

Highlights: [•] PCB, PCDE and PCN concentrations declined by 71–98% in harbor seals from the Salish Sea between 1983 and 2003. [•] PBDE concentrations doubled every 3.1years in harbor seals from 1984 to 2003 but declined thereafter. [•] Among Salish Sea harbor seals, those in Puget Sound had the highest PCB and PBDE concentrations. [•] Changes in food web productivity may explain unexpected contaminant patterns in seals in 2003. [•] The 53,000 harbor seals of the Salish Sea had an estimated burden of 2.5kg of PCBs in 2009. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]