Organochlorine contaminants in cetaceans: how to facilitate interpretation and avoid errors when comparing datasets

This paper reviews current scientific literature to provide information for avoiding errors commonly made in comparing and interpreting datasets from laboratories measuring organochlorine contaminants cetaceans. Before making comparisons interpretations using heterogeneous (e.g. those different or methods the same laboratory), it is essential consider specific about animals sampled age, sex, reproductive status, body condition health status), sampling procedures necropsy of subsistence, stranded bycaught individuals; remote surgical biopsy), conventions expressing analytical results lipids percent lipid, dry weight, contaminant concentration units, totals groups such as PCB congeners) quality assurance performance. Reformatting should be carried out, necessary, unify into like units weight basis) allow a critical evaluation data made. As part interpretation, caveats limits comparability (based on results) provided. In addition, biological relevance must considered datasets.