RESUMO
Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured in muscle-blubber biopsy samples from 21 Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) pups that were live captured in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) using gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. Only traces of PBDEs were detected in one male pup, whereas PCDDs and PCDFs were not detected in any sample. The total concentration of PCBs (ΣPCB) in the pups averaged 104 µg/kg lipid (range, 49-384 µg/kg). No statistically significant differences in ΣPCB were observed among the four study sites in the Galapagos Islands. Concentrations of PCB congeners in Galapagos sea lion pups were dominated by low-molecular-weight congeners. These results suggest that global transport is the main source for PCBs in Galapagos sea lions. The ΣPCB levels were below immunotoxic and endocrine-disruption thresholds in pinnipeds, suggesting a limited risk of adverse health effects. The present study indicates that Galapagos sea lions can serve as a useful sentinel of pollutants with a long-range transport capacity and that Galapagos Islands are not exempt from the threats of global pollutants despite its remote locale.
Assuntos
Benzofuranos/análise , Dioxinas/análise , Éteres Difenil Halogenados/análise , Bifenilos Policlorados/análise , Leões-Marinhos/metabolismo , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Animais , Benzofuranos/toxicidade , Dibenzofuranos Policlorados , Dioxinas/toxicidade , Equador , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Feminino , Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas , Éteres Difenil Halogenados/toxicidade , Masculino , Bifenilos Policlorados/toxicidade , Controle de Qualidade , Análise de Regressão , Medição de Risco , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidadeRESUMO
Cuatro casos de pacientes con lepra fueron vistos en un área endémica de leishmaniasis cutánea, Los Ranchos, Provincia de Manabí. Dos casos de lepra (lepromatosa borderline e indeterminada, respectivamente) fueron reportados en una sola familia. Un armadillo de 9 bandas, mantenido por la familia, fue examinado, pero no se encontraron bacilos ácido-resistentes en su hígado. Se discute brevemente sobre muestreos realizados a los miembros de las familias de los pacientes leprosos.
