Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of Extractable Organohalogens in the Antarctic Weddell Seal

In this dataset researchers measured extractable organohalogens PCBs, DDTs and chlordane
compounds (CHLs) in blubber of Weddell seal caught at Syowa Station (69° 00’S, 39° 35’E) from 1980 to 1982 and found that the age-trend accumulation of EOBr (extractable organobromine) and EOI (extractable organoiodine) was similar to man-made organochlorine compounds. Percent compositions of known organic chlorine in EOCl also increased gradually with aging. However, their values were less than 1%. This implied that many other, unknown organic halogen compounds were present in Weddell seals and there are many unidentified compounds in Antarctic marine organisms. It is reasonable to hypotize that, Antarctic organisms might be forced to produce unique natural organic compounds containing halogen atoms. Actual antifreeze glycoproteins were found in the blood serum of fish specimens from the Antarctic marine environment. Recently, halogenated natural products have been tentatively identified in five species of Antarctic sponges. Their estimated concentrations ranged from pg/g to μg/g. The high abundance of these compounds relative to known anthropogenic 61 pollutants suggested a natural origin.