Food resources influence levels of persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in tissues of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a small canid with a circumpolar Arctic distribution. Several subspecies are recognized, including a subspecies known as the Pribilof fox (V. l. pribilofensis) endemic to the Pribilof Islands of Alaska, USA. Pribilof fox tissues were collected from the islands of S...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Research
Main Authors: Jennie L. Bolton, Paula A. White, Douglas G. Burrows, Jessica I. Lundin, Gina M. Ylitalo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Norwegian Polar Institute 2017
Subjects:
Bering Sea
marine food web
Pribilof fox
conservation
feeding ecology
POPs
envir
geo
Arctic
Arctic Fox
Polar Research
Vulpes lagopus
Alaska
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1080/17518369.2017.1310994
https://doaj.org/article/759c7851c10e43768a5e9ddbf1d7dadb
Description
Summary:The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a small canid with a circumpolar Arctic distribution. Several subspecies are recognized, including a subspecies known as the Pribilof fox (V. l. pribilofensis) endemic to the Pribilof Islands of Alaska, USA. Pribilof fox tissues were collected from the islands of St. Paul (n = 38) and St. George (n = 13). Levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were measured and the findings related to sex, age class, island and access to anthropogenic food resources using ANOVA and principal component analysis. The rank order for POPs in fat was polychlorinated biphenyls (∑PCBs) > chlordanes (∑CHLs) ≫ hexachlorocyclohexanes (∑HCHs) > DDTs (∑DDTs) > hexachlorobenzene (HCB) ~ polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑PBDEs). Adult females had lower mean levels of most POPs (∑PCBs, ∑CHLs, ∑HCHs, ∑DDTs) and lower δ15N values than adult males. Foxes on St. Paul had significantly higher levels of most POPs than those on St. George, though St. George foxes were significantly higher in HCB. Foxes with high probability of access to anthropogenic foods had significantly lower levels of ∑DDTs and lower δ15N values than foxes with a low probability of access. The observed differences in contaminant and stable isotope levels were consistent with fox use patterns of different food resources. POP concentrations in the tissues of some Pribilof foxes, especially from St. Paul, were higher than those associated with thresholds for adverse health effects. POPs may therefore be a factor for consideration in the conservation of Pribilof foxes.

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