These datasets contain chemical analysis data from stranded cetaceans, generated as part of the ChemPop NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) grant (NE/S000100/1) Marine Work Package. The stranded cetaceans were located along the UK coastline, from July 1991 to December 2020. The datasets include variables relating to where and when the animal stranded (National_Reference, Species, Date stranded, Latitude, Longitude, Location). The data also include variables that were collected during post-mortem (PM) examination (Sex, Length, Age Group, Condition at PM, Cause of Death Category, Cause of Death Class, Body Weight, Girth, Dorsal blubber thickness, Lateral blubber thickness and Ventral blubber thickness). The variable 'Tissue' is included to state which tissue underwent chemical analysis. 80 harbour porpoises and 83 common dolphins were analysed in total. For harbour porpoises, there are variables for each of the trace elements, determined by Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science), using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). For the trace element data, there is also a variable for Total Solids so the metal concentrations can be converted from a wet weight to a dry weight. For common dolphins, there are variables for each of the 25 PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) congeners, determined by Cefas, using gas-chromatography electron capture detection (GC-ECD). For the PCB data there is also a variable on lipid percentage as the sum. These data were collected with the aim to determine the burdens and impacts of hazardous chemicals on cetaceans. The data were collected as part of the collaborative UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), which has been running since 1990, funded by Defra and the Devolved Administrations.
