Organochlorine concentrations in the saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) from Lake Haukivesi, Finland, 1981 to 2000, and in its diet today

Abstract Organochlorine and mercury (Hg) pollution has been one possible reason for a decline in the size of the population of the Saimaa ringed seal ( Phoca hispida saimensis ) in Lake Haukivesi, Finland. In this study, we analyzed changes in the concentrations of organochlorine compounds (OCls) an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Main Authors: Kostamo, Auli, Hyvärinen, Heikki, Pellinen, Jukka, Kukkonen, Jussi V. K.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2002
Subjects:
Arctic
Brama
Esox lucius
Phoca hispida
ringed seal
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620210706
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.5620210706
https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.5620210706
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Summary:Abstract Organochlorine and mercury (Hg) pollution has been one possible reason for a decline in the size of the population of the Saimaa ringed seal ( Phoca hispida saimensis ) in Lake Haukivesi, Finland. In this study, we analyzed changes in the concentrations of organochlorine compounds (OCls) and extractable organic halogen (EOX) in the blubber of Saimaa ringed seals that died from 1981 to 2000. In addition, the present concentrations and biomagnification factors of OCls and Hg from the main prey fish of ringed seal and pike ( Esox lucius ) were determined. Concentrations of pollutants in bream ( Abramis brama ) also were analyzed. The decline in the OCl concentrations in blubber was, on average, 25% during the two decades since polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT compounds were banned. Today, concentrations in blubber of Saimaa ringed seals are similar of those in ringed seals from the Arctic. Correspondingly in fish, the OCl and Hg concentrations were, on average, similar to those found in other studies on Finnish and Arctic areas. The low diet concentrations and metabolism of OCls also reflect the lower age correlation of OCls in the male ringed seals in the 1990s than in the 1980s. Biomagnification was considerably higher from fish to the ringed seal than from prey fish to pike because of higher feeding rate of ringed seals and differences in the metabolisms of these animals.

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