Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2015 Wildlife are intimately associated with contaminated waters and polluted landscapes, serving as sentinels to the health of our shared environment. This project optimized trace analytic techniques for measuring toxicants in scat samples and evaluated con...
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ftunivwashington:oai:digital.lib.washington.edu:1773/33598 2023-05-15T15:51:12+02:00 Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples Lundin, Jessica I. Wasser, Samuel K 2015 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1773/33598 en_US eng Lundin_washington_0250E_14456.pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1773/33598 Copyright is held by the individual authors. Biologic monitoring Environmental toxicology Marine Mammals Persistent Organic Pollutants Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Wildlife toxicology Wildlife conservation Environmental health Toxicology biology Thesis 2015 ftunivwashington 2023-03-12T18:54:55Z Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2015 Wildlife are intimately associated with contaminated waters and polluted landscapes, serving as sentinels to the health of our shared environment. This project optimized trace analytic techniques for measuring toxicants in scat samples and evaluated contamination levels among Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs; Orcinus orca) in the Salish Sea and Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), moose (Alces americanus), and Grey wolf (Canis lupus) in the Alberta Oil Sands (AOS). Scat sampling provides an unprecedented opportunity to non-invasively monitor marine and terrestrial wildlife across broad geographic landscapes. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a primary risk factor for the endangered SRKWs. POPs are lipophilic toxicants associated with adverse health effects including endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity. Scat samples collected from 2010-2013 demonstrated that contaminant levels are highest, from endogenous lipid stores, and have the greatest potential for toxicity when the whales are nutritionally compromised. Toxicant exposures may contribute to increased mortality and decreased fecundity previously associated with limited prey abundance. Accumulation patterns showed an expected age-related increase, excepting nulliparous females that may have toxicant offloading from unrecorded neonate loss. Mobilization from endogenous lipid stores for milk production and associated transfer of POPs was apparent, particularly for first-born calves with diminished transfer to subsequent calves. POPs were not associated with disruption of thyroid hormone levels as expected. The AOS are third largest international oil reserve; oil production is projected to more than double from 2008-2018. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), well-established carcinogens and mutagens, are a component of crude oil (petrogenic) and form during combustion events (pyrogenic). Scat samples collected in 2009 from areas of the AOS with varying degrees of in ... Thesis Canis lupus Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Rangifer tarandus Killer whale University of Washington, Seattle: ResearchWorks |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Washington, Seattle: ResearchWorks |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwashington |
language |
English |
topic |
Biologic monitoring Environmental toxicology Marine Mammals Persistent Organic Pollutants Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Wildlife toxicology Wildlife conservation Environmental health Toxicology biology |
spellingShingle |
Biologic monitoring Environmental toxicology Marine Mammals Persistent Organic Pollutants Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Wildlife toxicology Wildlife conservation Environmental health Toxicology biology Lundin, Jessica I. Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples |
topic_facet |
Biologic monitoring Environmental toxicology Marine Mammals Persistent Organic Pollutants Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Wildlife toxicology Wildlife conservation Environmental health Toxicology biology |
description |
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2015 Wildlife are intimately associated with contaminated waters and polluted landscapes, serving as sentinels to the health of our shared environment. This project optimized trace analytic techniques for measuring toxicants in scat samples and evaluated contamination levels among Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs; Orcinus orca) in the Salish Sea and Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), moose (Alces americanus), and Grey wolf (Canis lupus) in the Alberta Oil Sands (AOS). Scat sampling provides an unprecedented opportunity to non-invasively monitor marine and terrestrial wildlife across broad geographic landscapes. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a primary risk factor for the endangered SRKWs. POPs are lipophilic toxicants associated with adverse health effects including endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity. Scat samples collected from 2010-2013 demonstrated that contaminant levels are highest, from endogenous lipid stores, and have the greatest potential for toxicity when the whales are nutritionally compromised. Toxicant exposures may contribute to increased mortality and decreased fecundity previously associated with limited prey abundance. Accumulation patterns showed an expected age-related increase, excepting nulliparous females that may have toxicant offloading from unrecorded neonate loss. Mobilization from endogenous lipid stores for milk production and associated transfer of POPs was apparent, particularly for first-born calves with diminished transfer to subsequent calves. POPs were not associated with disruption of thyroid hormone levels as expected. The AOS are third largest international oil reserve; oil production is projected to more than double from 2008-2018. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), well-established carcinogens and mutagens, are a component of crude oil (petrogenic) and form during combustion events (pyrogenic). Scat samples collected in 2009 from areas of the AOS with varying degrees of in ... |
author2 |
Wasser, Samuel K |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Lundin, Jessica I. |
author_facet |
Lundin, Jessica I. |
author_sort |
Lundin, Jessica I. |
title |
Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples |
title_short |
Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples |
title_full |
Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples |
title_fullStr |
Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples |
title_full_unstemmed |
Biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples |
title_sort |
biologic monitoring of environmental contaminants in marine (killer whale) and terrestrial (caribou, moose, and wolf) wildlife populations using scat samples |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1773/33598 |
genre |
Canis lupus Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Rangifer tarandus Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Rangifer tarandus Killer whale |
op_relation |
Lundin_washington_0250E_14456.pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1773/33598 |
op_rights |
Copyright is held by the individual authors. |
_version_ |
1766386279774158848 |