Dear all, A new article published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is now available online: Transplacental transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in arctic beluga whales (*Delphinapterus leucas*) Authors: JP Desforges, P.S. Ross, L.L. Loseto Contact: jean-pierre.desforges@dfo-mpo.gc.ca http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.750/abstract Abstract: This study found that arctic beluga whales (*Delphinapterus leucas*) transferred, on average, 11.4% (7.5 mg) and 11.1% (0.1 mg) of their polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) blubber burden to their near-term fetuses. A single physicochemical parameter, log *K*OW, largely explained this transplacental transfer for PCBs (*r*2 = 0.79, *p* < 0.00001) and PBDEs (*r*2 = 0.37,*p* = 0.007), with congeners having a log *K*OW < 6.5 preferentially transferred to the fetus. Blubber concentrations of 257 ng/g lipid weight (lw) PCBs and 3.8 ng/g (lw) PBDEs in beluga fetuses highlights the exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds during a critical developmental stage. The implications of detecting these levels of legacy PCBs and the flame retardant PBDEs in unborn arctic beluga are unclear. Cheers, -- J.P Desforges M.Sc. Candidate School of Earth & Ocean Science University of Victoria