The polar bear as a biological indicator of the environmental mercury burden. Arctic 35(3

ABSTRACT. 128 fresh (current) and 18 preserved (museum) polar bear hair samples were subjected to mercury analysis. Mercury levels ranging from <0.5-44.3 ppm were observed in the fresh samples with a geographic distribution showing higher levels in the western Arctic and substantially lower level...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: R. D. P. Eaton, J. P. Farant
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1982
Subjects:
Arctic
Maurice
ours polaire
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.532.5831
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic35-3-422.pdf
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Summary:ABSTRACT. 128 fresh (current) and 18 preserved (museum) polar bear hair samples were subjected to mercury analysis. Mercury levels ranging from <0.5-44.3 ppm were observed in the fresh samples with a geographic distribution showing higher levels in the western Arctic and substantially lower levels in the eastern Arctic and in Hudson’s Bay. A similar geographic range and distribution was found in the museum specimens. No correlation can be demonstrated between observed levels and industrial releases of mercury. There is no real indication of increase in general levels over time. The source of observed high levels of mercury in arctic marine fauna appears to be geologic rather than industrial. Key words: mercury, polar bear RkSUMk. Des analyses de mercure ont ttb effectubes sur des bchantillons de poils provenant de 128 ours polaires en vie et de 18 ours polaires preserves dans des musbes. Les niveaux de mercure variaient entre ~ 0. 5 et 44.3 p.p.m. dans les bchantillons d’ours en vie, les niveaux &ant plus blevbs dans l’ouest de l’Arctique et beaucoup moins tlevbs dans l’est de l’Arctique et la baie d’Hudson. Les spbcimens de musbes prksentaient des statistiques semblables quant la portee et la distribution gbographique. Aucune correlation n’a pu être etablie entre les niveaux observes et les bmissions industrielles de mercure. I1 ne s’est present6 aucune indication d’une augmentation B la longue des niveaux en gknkral. La source des niveaux blevbs de mercure semble donc être geologique plut & qu’industrielle. Mots cles: mercure, ours polaire Traduit pour le journal par Maurice Guibord.

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