Biological Effects of Contaminants on Arctic Wildlife & Fish Summary for Policy-makers

• Main Author: Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Arctic Council Secretariat 2019
• Subjects: Arctic; Human health
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11374/2320

The Arctic and its inhabitants harbor elevated levels of environmental pollutants, most of which originate from the industrialized centers and agricultural regions of lower latitudes. Chemical pollutants transported via the atmosphere, oceans and rivers are deposited in Arctic ecosystems, where they bioaccumulate in organisms and biomagnify through food webs. Many of the chemicals found at elevated levels in the Arctic have also been associated with effects on animal and human health, therefore, wildlife and fish species endemic to the Arctic and the indigenous communities that rely on them as part of a traditional diet, remain vulnerable to the potential detrimental effects associated with these chemicals.