Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland
Tissue samples of 69 Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) were collected in the Thule district, North Greenland, in May-July 1975 and 1977. The mean concentration of total mercury in liver was 1.78 mg/kg (SD=1.54; N=46), wet weight basis, with the mean percentage of methyl mercury being 5....
Published in: | ARCTIC |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
The Arctic Institute of North America
1981
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65580 |
id |
ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/65580 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/65580 2023-05-15T14:19:17+02:00 Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland Born, E.W. Kraul, I. Kristensen, T. 1981-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65580 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65580/49494 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65580 ARCTIC; Vol. 34 No. 3 (1981): September: 201–280; 255-260 1923-1245 0004-0843 Age Bioaccumulation Biological sampling DDT Gender differences Internal organs Marine pollution Mercury PCBs Toxicity Walruses Smith Sound Greenland/Nunavut Smith Sound region info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1981 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:22:40Z Tissue samples of 69 Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) were collected in the Thule district, North Greenland, in May-July 1975 and 1977. The mean concentration of total mercury in liver was 1.78 mg/kg (SD=1.54; N=46), wet weight basis, with the mean percentage of methyl mercury being 5.5%. The mean concentration in muscle was 0.08 mg/kg (SD=0.05; N=58; mean age = 10.9 years; range: 1-26 years; neonates excluded). In neonates (N=9) the mean concentration of total mercury was 0.31 mg/kg (SD=0.45) in liver (19.9% methyl mercury) and 0.06 mg/kg (SD=0.03) in muscle. Mean Sigma DDT and PCB concentrations in blubber of 28 walruses (mean age = 7.4 years; range: 0-19 years) were 0.063 mg/kg (SD=0.080) and 0.221 mg/kg (SD=0.207), respectively. In males the concentration of Sigma DDT and PCB increased with age. In females there was no correlation between the concentration of Sigma DDT and age, while there was a negative correlation between the concentration of PCB and age. The values of mercury concentrations are low compared with values for seals in Greenland and the eastern Canadian Arctic, and the values of organochlorine concentrations are the lowest reported for pinnipeds.Key words: Mercury, DDT, PCB, Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, North Greenland Mots clés: Mercure, DDT, PCB, morse de l'Atlantique, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, nord du Groënland Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Greenland North Greenland Nunavut Odobenus rosmarus Smith sound Thule morse walrus* University of Calgary Journal Hosting Arctic Greenland Morse ENVELOPE(130.167,130.167,-66.250,-66.250) Nunavut Smith Sound ENVELOPE(-73.996,-73.996,78.419,78.419) ARCTIC 34 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Calgary Journal Hosting |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgaryojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Age Bioaccumulation Biological sampling DDT Gender differences Internal organs Marine pollution Mercury PCBs Toxicity Walruses Smith Sound Greenland/Nunavut Smith Sound region |
spellingShingle |
Age Bioaccumulation Biological sampling DDT Gender differences Internal organs Marine pollution Mercury PCBs Toxicity Walruses Smith Sound Greenland/Nunavut Smith Sound region Born, E.W. Kraul, I. Kristensen, T. Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland |
topic_facet |
Age Bioaccumulation Biological sampling DDT Gender differences Internal organs Marine pollution Mercury PCBs Toxicity Walruses Smith Sound Greenland/Nunavut Smith Sound region |
description |
Tissue samples of 69 Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) were collected in the Thule district, North Greenland, in May-July 1975 and 1977. The mean concentration of total mercury in liver was 1.78 mg/kg (SD=1.54; N=46), wet weight basis, with the mean percentage of methyl mercury being 5.5%. The mean concentration in muscle was 0.08 mg/kg (SD=0.05; N=58; mean age = 10.9 years; range: 1-26 years; neonates excluded). In neonates (N=9) the mean concentration of total mercury was 0.31 mg/kg (SD=0.45) in liver (19.9% methyl mercury) and 0.06 mg/kg (SD=0.03) in muscle. Mean Sigma DDT and PCB concentrations in blubber of 28 walruses (mean age = 7.4 years; range: 0-19 years) were 0.063 mg/kg (SD=0.080) and 0.221 mg/kg (SD=0.207), respectively. In males the concentration of Sigma DDT and PCB increased with age. In females there was no correlation between the concentration of Sigma DDT and age, while there was a negative correlation between the concentration of PCB and age. The values of mercury concentrations are low compared with values for seals in Greenland and the eastern Canadian Arctic, and the values of organochlorine concentrations are the lowest reported for pinnipeds.Key words: Mercury, DDT, PCB, Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, North Greenland Mots clés: Mercure, DDT, PCB, morse de l'Atlantique, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, nord du Groënland |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Born, E.W. Kraul, I. Kristensen, T. |
author_facet |
Born, E.W. Kraul, I. Kristensen, T. |
author_sort |
Born, E.W. |
title |
Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland |
title_short |
Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland |
title_full |
Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland |
title_fullStr |
Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury, DDT and PCB in the Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Thule District, North Greenland |
title_sort |
mercury, ddt and pcb in the atlantic walrus (odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the thule district, north greenland |
publisher |
The Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
1981 |
url |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65580 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(130.167,130.167,-66.250,-66.250) ENVELOPE(-73.996,-73.996,78.419,78.419) |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland Morse Nunavut Smith Sound |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland Morse Nunavut Smith Sound |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Greenland North Greenland Nunavut Odobenus rosmarus Smith sound Thule morse walrus* |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Greenland North Greenland Nunavut Odobenus rosmarus Smith sound Thule morse walrus* |
op_source |
ARCTIC; Vol. 34 No. 3 (1981): September: 201–280; 255-260 1923-1245 0004-0843 |
op_relation |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65580/49494 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65580 |
container_title |
ARCTIC |
container_volume |
34 |
container_issue |
3 |
_version_ |
1766290937610240000 |