We report on the comparative bioaccumulation, biotransformation and/or biomagnification from East Greenland ringed seal (Pusa hispida) blubber to polar bear (Ursus maritimus) tissues (adipose, liver and brain) of various classes and congeners of persistent chlorinated and brominated contaminants and metabolic by-products: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlordanes (CHLs), hydroxyl (OH-) and methylsulfonyl (MeSO2-) PCBs, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), OH-PBBs, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) flame retardants and OH- and methoxyl (MeO-) PBDEs, 2,2-dichloro-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethene (p,p'-DDE), 3-MeSO2-p,p'-DDE, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 4-OH-heptachlorostyrene (4-OH-HpCS). We detected all of the investigated contaminants in ringed seal blubber with high frequency, the main diet of East Greenland bears, with the exception of OH-PCBs and 4-OH-HpCS, which indicated that these phenolic contaminants were likely of metabolic origin and formed in the bears from accumulated PCBs and octachlorostyrene (OCS), respectively, rather than being bioaccumulated from a seal blubber diet. For all of the detectable sum of classes or individual organohalogens, in general, the ringed seal to polar bear mean BMFs for SumPCBs, p,p'-DDE, SumCHLs, SumMeSO2-PCBs, 3-MeSO2-p,p'-DDE, PCP, SumPBDEs, total-(alpha)-HBCD, SumOH-PBDEs, SumMeO-PBDEs and SumOH-PBBs indicated that these organohalogens bioaccumulate, and in some cases there was tissue-specific biomagnification, e.g., BMFs for bear adipose and liver ranged from 2 to 570. The blood-brain barrier appeared to be effective in minimizing brain accumulation as BMFs were MLOQ = 15 (or 0 if value = '<0.01') if not otherwise indicated.PCBs monitored: CB-28/31,-42,-44,-49,-52,-60,-64/71,-66/95,-70,-74,-84/101,-87,-97,-99,-105,-110,-118,-128,-129/178,-138,-141,-146,-149,-151,-153,-156/171/202,-158,-170/190,-172,-174,-177,-179,-180,-182/187,-183,-194,-195,-196/203,-200,-201 and -206.MeSO2-PCBs monitored: 3'/4'-MeSO2-CB49,3/4-MeSO2-CB52,3/4-MeSO2-CB64,3/4-MeSO2-CB70,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB87,3/4-MeSO2-CB91,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB101,3/4-MeSO2-CB110,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB132,3'/4'-MeSO2-CB141,3/4-MeSO2-CB149,3/4-MeSO2-CB174.OH-PCB monitored (determined as MeO-derivatives): 4'-OH-CB79,4-OH-CB97,4'-OH-CB101/4-OH-CB134,4-OH-CB107/4'-OH-CB108,2'-OH-CB114,3-OH-CB118,4'-OH-CB120,4'-OH-CB127,4'-OH-CB130,3'-OH-CB138,4-OH-CB146,4'-OH-CB159,4-OH-CB162,4-OH-CB163,4'-OH-CB172,4'-OH-CB177,4-OH-CB178,3'-OH-CB180,3'-OH-CB182,3'-OH-CB183,3'-OH-CB184,4-OH-CB187,4-OH-CB193,4'-OH-CB199,4'-OH-CB200,4'-OH-CB201,4'-OH-CB202,4,4'-diOH-CB202,3'-OH-CB203/4'-OH-CB198,4'-OH-CB208.CHLs monitored: oxychlordane, trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, heptachlor-epoxide. PBDEs monitored: BDE-17,28,-47,-66,-85,-99,-100,-138,-153,-154,-183,-190,-209. OH-PBDEs monitored (determined as MeO-derivatives): 6'-OH-BDE17,6'-OH-BDE17,6'-OH-BDE49,2'-OH-BDE68,6-OH-BDE47,3-OH-BDE47,5-OH-BDE47,4'-OH-BDE49,4-OH-BDE42,6-OH-BDE90,6-OH-BDE99,2-OH-BDE123,6-OH-BDE85,6-OH-BDE137.MeO-PBDEs monitored: 4'-MeO-BDE17,6'-MeO-BDE17,2'-MeO-BDE28,4-MeO-BDE42,3-MeO-BDE47,5-MeO-BDE47,6-MeO-BDE47,4'-MeO-BDE49,6'-MeO-BDE49,2'-MeO-BDE68,6-MeO-BDE85,6-MeO-BDE90,6-MeO-BDE99,2-MeO-BDE123,6-MeO-BDE137.OH-PBBs monitored (determined as MeO-derivatives): one tri-brominated and two tetra-brominated OH-PBBs. Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150

Supplement to: Letcher, Robert J; Gebbink, Wouter A; Sonne, Christian; Born, Erik W; McKinney, Melissa A; Dietz, Rune (2009): Bioaccumulation and biotransformation of brominated and chlorinated contaminants and their metabolites in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from East Greenland. Environment International, 35(8), 1118-1124