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<p>Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are widely used plastic additives that have become ubiquitous contaminants in marine environments. Filter-feeding baleen whales may be exposed to these pollutants through water, prey or ingested plastic debris. While macroplastics have been reported in the gut of a southern right whale (SRW, <i>Eubalaena australis</i>), exposure to PAEs has not been assessed. Here, we quantified three lipophilic PAEs, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), in the blubber of 13 SRWs (three calves, three juveniles and seven adults) stranded in 2021 at Península Valdés, Argentina. More than 90% of samples contained detectable PAE levels, and 46.2% were above quantification limits. DEHP and DBP were the most prevalent compounds (61.5% and 30.8%, respectively), although the biological significance of the detected concentrations remains uncertain. This is the first report of PAEs in SRW blubber and suggests potential mother-calf transfer, highlighting exposure of Southern Hemisphere mysticetes to plastic-derived chemicals.</p>

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First report of phthalate acid esters (plasticizers) in blubber of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) from Península Valdés, Argentina

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月26日

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  • Luciana Gallo,
  • Melina Paola Michlig,
  • Maria Rosa Repetti,
  • Agustina Donini,
  • Adrian E. Rodriguez,
  • Mariano Sironi,
  • Marcela M. Uhart

摘要

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are widely used plastic additives that have become ubiquitous contaminants in marine environments. Filter-feeding baleen whales may be exposed to these pollutants through water, prey or ingested plastic debris. While macroplastics have been reported in the gut of a southern right whale (SRW, Eubalaena australis), exposure to PAEs has not been assessed. Here, we quantified three lipophilic PAEs, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), in the blubber of 13 SRWs (three calves, three juveniles and seven adults) stranded in 2021 at Península Valdés, Argentina. More than 90% of samples contained detectable PAE levels, and 46.2% were above quantification limits. DEHP and DBP were the most prevalent compounds (61.5% and 30.8%, respectively), although the biological significance of the detected concentrations remains uncertain. This is the first report of PAEs in SRW blubber and suggests potential mother-calf transfer, highlighting exposure of Southern Hemisphere mysticetes to plastic-derived chemicals.