HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE HYDROXYLATED PCB METABOLITES (OH-PCB) IN HARBOUR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA)?

Introduction Persistent organochlorine pollutants (OCs) such as the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides like DDT, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and chlordanes, are lipophilic substances that can cross the lipophilic cell membranes of animal cells by diffusion. The fate of these substances in an organism varies considerably, and both degradation by metabolism and accumulation in lipid-rich tissues are possible outcomes. Several of these compounds have been shown to metabolize to various degrees, and some metabolites are also retained in the organism due to high lipid affinity, protein association or other mechanisms.