A. A. Shelepchikov1, 2, Determination of anthropogenic pollutantsin the adipose tissue of the Caspian seal (Pusa caspica Gmelin, 1788) using high-resolution acc

The possibility of comprehensive characterization of tissue contamination of living organisms by organic pollutants in the course of a single analysis by combining GC and high resolution accurate mass-spectrometry has been demonstrated. Samples of adipose tissue from two Caspian seals (Pusa caspica Gmelin, 1788), found dead in 2020 on the shores of the Caspian Sea, were studied. The main pollutants of the Caspian seal are organochlorine pesticides, primarily DDT and HCH, as well as PCBs. The distribution of metabolites indicates the absence of recent pesticide use. The PCB content is relatively high, but, as for pesticides, is at the lower limit of the range of values previously determined. Chlordanes, polychlorinated naphthalenes and polybrominated diphenyl ethers were not detected in quantities that would allow them to be considered the main pollutants of the Caspian seal. Contaminant levels are below levels at which a clear effect on seal health can be expected. High-resolution accurate mass spactrometry has proven to be a convenient tool for performing both target and non-target analysis of a wide range of organic pollutants in one experiment.