Mercury accumulation in delphinidae

• Published in: Water Air & Soil Pollution
• Main Authors: Andre, J.M., Boudou, A., Ribeyre, Francis
• Other Authors: Laboratoire de l'intégration, du matériau au système (IMS), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP), Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Cognitique (ENSC), Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux, COGNITIQUE, Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques (EPOC), Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers (OASU), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Bordeaux Montaigne (UBM)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 1991
• Subjects: Harp Seal; Harbour Porpoise; Terrestrial Mammal; Marine Mammal; Mercury Accumulation; [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Pacific; Harbour porpoise
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01702612; https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00342271

International audience The aim of this work is an attempt to synthetize the different results of our researches on dolphin's contamination by Hg and their interpretation. It is based on the results obtained following the total Hg determination in several organs of 35 specimens of Stenella coeruleoalba stranded on French Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts and 45 Stenella attenuata captured in the Eastern tropical Pacific. Considering our present knowledge on Hg ecotoxicological processes, the trophic route, via cumulative Hg transfers through the marine trophic network, can be considered as the major contamination route for the dolphins. However, considering the influence of the geographical origin of the individuals it also seems reasonable to assume that the principal contamination source of the high Hg concentrations observed in pelagic dolphins are natural metal deposits.