Temporal monitoring of liver and kidney lesions in contaminated East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) during 1999-2010

• Published in: Environment International
• Main Authors: Sonne, Christian, Letcher, Robert J, Leifsson, Pall S, Rigét, Frank F, Bechshøft, Thea Ø, Bossi, Rossana, Asmund, Gert, Dietz, Rune
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Greenland; East Greenland; Ursus maritimus
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/temporal-monitoring-of-liver-and-kidney-lesions-in-contaminated-east-greenland-polar-bears-ursus-maritimus-during-19992010(f1bd7738-5afb-473b-8510-060421730aaf).html; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2012.07.002

Organohalogen contaminants bioaccumulate to high concentrations in tissues of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). The exposure levels are in the order to be toxic to inner organs like liver and kidney. We therefore investigated the temporal development of lesions in liver (n=115) and kidney (n=122) samples from East Greenland polar bears taken over the 12year period from 1999 to 2010. Seven liver and seven kidney lesions were observed of which six were age-related. Controlling for this, the analyses showed that hepatic steatosis and renal cell infiltrations, glomerular sclerosis and tubular hyperplasia decreased over the investigated time period (all p