Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38114485›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2023

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) source identification and a maternal transfer case study in threatened killer whales (Orcinus orca) of British Columbia, Canada.

Kiah Lee, Stephen Raverty, Paul Cottrell, Zeinab Zoveidadianpour, Brendan Cottrell, Dana Price, Juan José Alava

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Transforming beef quality through healthy breeding: a strategy to reduce carcinogenic compounds and enhance human health: a review.Mammalian genome : official journal of the International Mammalian Genome Society · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Kiah LeeOcean Pollution Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. kiahlee@student.ubc.ca.
Stephen RavertyOcean Pollution Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Paul CottrellFisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Zeinab ZoveidadianpourOcean Pollution Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Brendan CottrellApplied Remote Sensing Lab, Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Dana PriceOcean Pollution Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Juan José AlavaOcean Pollution Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. j.alava@oceans.ubc.ca.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada · CAMcGill University · CASimon Fraser University · CAUniversity of British Columbia · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The northeastern Pacific (NEP) Ocean spans the coast of British Columbia (Canada) and is impacted by anthropogenic activities including oil pipeline developments, maritime fossil fuel tanker traffic, industrial chemical effluents, agricultural and urban emissions in tandem with stormwater and wastewater discharges, and forest wildfires. Such events may expose surrounding marine environments to toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and impact critical habitats of threatened killer whales (Orcinus orca). We analyzed skeletal muscle and liver samples from stranded Bigg's killer whales and endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs) for PAH contamination using LRMS. C3-phenanthrenes/anthracenes (mean: 632 ng/g lw), C4-dibenzothiophenes (mean: 334 ng/g lw), and C4-phenanthrenes/anthracenes (mean: 248 ng/g lw) presented the highest concentrations across all tissue samples. Diagnostic ratios indicated petrogenic-sourced contamination for SRKWs and pyrogenic-sourced burdens for Bigg's killer whales; differences between ecotypes may be attributed to habitat range, prey selection, and metabolism. A mother-fetus skeletal muscle pair provided evidence of PAH maternal transfer; low molecular weight compounds C3-fluorenes, dibenzothiophene, and naphthalene showed efficient and preferential exposure to the fetus. This indicates in-utero exposure of PAH-contamination to the fetus. Our results show that hydrocarbon-related anthropogenic activities are negatively impacting these top predators; preliminary data found here can be used to improve oil spill and other PAH pollution management and regulation efforts, and inform policy to conserve killer whale habitats in the NEP.

Indexed as

PhenanthrenesPolycyclic Aromatic HydrocarbonsWhale, KillerAnimalsAnthracenesBritish ColumbiaEnvironmental MonitoringAnthracenesPhenanthrenesPolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Identifiers

PMID38114485
PMCPMC10730697
OpenAlexW4389952100

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.