Blubber taken from ringed seals (Pusa hispida) during a subsistence hunt at Ulukhaktok, NT (formerly Holman, NWT) at intervals between 2002 and 2015 was analysed for polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners. Results from these analyses were combined with others previously published to yield a data set of 18 tri- to hepta-substituted PBDE congeners in 102 animals sampled over a span of 19 year (females) and 34 year (males). In females, mean total PBDE concentrations increased between 1996 and 2015 by approximately 50%, from 1940 to 2780 pg/g wet wt., although not significantly so (p > 0.05) by one-way ANOVA. In males, concentrations ranged from 376 to 6470 pg/g wet wt. between 1981 and 2015 (p < 0.05). In males, the most rapid increase in PBDE concentrations occurred before 2000, but between 2002 and 2015 mean total PBDE concentrations increased by a further 50%. ANCOVA showed PBDE concentrations in females to be correlated (p < 0.05) with sampling year but not with age or condition (as measured by blubber thickness); in males, PBDE concentrations were strongly correlated (p < 0.01) with year, age and condition. The relative proportions of tetra-bromo- congeners declined weakly in both sexes over the sampling period, with a compensatory increase in penta-bromo-congener distribution. Overall, the results show no evidence yet of a decline in PBDE concentrations in western Arctic ringed seals in response to voluntary and regulated restrictions on PBDE use in the early 2000s.

在2002年至2015年期间，对在新罕布什尔州Ulukhaktok（以前为Holman，NWT）进行的生存狩猎中从环状海豹（Pusa hispida）采集的橡胶中的多溴联苯醚（PBDE）同源物进行了分析。将这些分析的结果与先前发表的其他分析相结合，以数据集的方式采集了102只动物的18种三至七取代的PBDE同系物，这些动物的年龄分别为19岁（雌性）和34岁（雄性）。在女性中，多溴联苯醚的平均总浓度在1996年至2015年期间增加了约50％，从1940年增加到2780 pg / g湿重，尽管 单向方差分析并不明显（p > 0.05）。在雄性中，浓度范围为376至6470 pg / g湿重。1981年和2015年之间（p <0.05）。在男性中，多溴二苯醚浓度增长最快的时间是在2000年之前，但是在2002年至2015年之间，平均多溴二苯醚的总浓度进一步增加了50％。ANCOVA显示，女性中的PBDE浓度 与采样年相关（p <0.05），但与年龄或状况（通过润滑脂厚度测量）无关。在男性中，PBDEs浓度 与年，年龄和状况密切相关（p <0.01）。在抽样期间，男女中四溴代同类物的相对比例微弱下降，五溴代同类物的补偿性增加。总体而言，结果表明，尚无证据表明，在2000年代初，由于对PBDE的自愿性和管制性限制，北极圈西海豹的PBDE浓度有所下降。