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Title: Processes of contaminant accumulation in an Arctic beluga whale population

Abstract

As long-lived top predators in marine food chains, marine mammals accumulate high levels of persistent organic contaminants. While arctic marine mammal contaminant concentrations are lower than those from temperate regions, levels are sufficiently high to be a health concern to people who rely on marine mammals as food. Monitoring programs developed to address this problem and to define spatial and temporal trends often are difficult to interpret since tissue contaminant concentrations vary with species, age, sex, reproductive effort, and condition (ie blubber thickness). It can be difficult to relate contaminant concentrations in other environmental compartments to those in marine mammals since their residues reflect exposure over their entire life, often 20 to 30 years. Contaminant accumulation models for marine mammals enable us to better understand the importance of, and interaction between, factors affecting contaminant accumulation, and can provide a dynamic framework for interpreting contaminant monitoring data. The authors developed two models for the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas): one provides a detailed view of processes at the individual level, the other examines population-based processes. The models quantify uptake, release and disposition of organic contaminants over their entire lifespan by incorporating all aspects of life-history. These models are used together to examinemore » impact of a variety of factors on patterns and variability of PCBs found in the West Greenland beluga population (sample size: 696, 729). Factors examined include: energetics, growth, birth rate, lactation, contaminant assimilation and clearance rates, and dietary contaminant concentrations. Results are discussed in relation to the use of marine mammals for monitoring contaminant trends.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Trent Univ., Peterborough, Ontario (Canada)
  2. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada)
  3. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Mont Joli, Quebec (Canada)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
211984
Report Number(s):
CONF-9511137-
ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9617%%300
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; ARCTIC OCEAN; WATER POLLUTION; CETACEANS; SENSITIVITY; FOOD CHAINS; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION; METABOLISM; MATHEMATICAL MODELS

Citation Formats

Hickie, B E, Muir, D, and Kingsley, M. Processes of contaminant accumulation in an Arctic beluga whale population. United States: N. p., 1995. Web.
Hickie, B E, Muir, D, & Kingsley, M. Processes of contaminant accumulation in an Arctic beluga whale population. United States.
Hickie, B E, Muir, D, and Kingsley, M. 1995. "Processes of contaminant accumulation in an Arctic beluga whale population". United States.
@article{osti_211984,
title = {Processes of contaminant accumulation in an Arctic beluga whale population},
author = {Hickie, B E and Muir, D and Kingsley, M},
abstractNote = {As long-lived top predators in marine food chains, marine mammals accumulate high levels of persistent organic contaminants. While arctic marine mammal contaminant concentrations are lower than those from temperate regions, levels are sufficiently high to be a health concern to people who rely on marine mammals as food. Monitoring programs developed to address this problem and to define spatial and temporal trends often are difficult to interpret since tissue contaminant concentrations vary with species, age, sex, reproductive effort, and condition (ie blubber thickness). It can be difficult to relate contaminant concentrations in other environmental compartments to those in marine mammals since their residues reflect exposure over their entire life, often 20 to 30 years. Contaminant accumulation models for marine mammals enable us to better understand the importance of, and interaction between, factors affecting contaminant accumulation, and can provide a dynamic framework for interpreting contaminant monitoring data. The authors developed two models for the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas): one provides a detailed view of processes at the individual level, the other examines population-based processes. The models quantify uptake, release and disposition of organic contaminants over their entire lifespan by incorporating all aspects of life-history. These models are used together to examine impact of a variety of factors on patterns and variability of PCBs found in the West Greenland beluga population (sample size: 696, 729). Factors examined include: energetics, growth, birth rate, lactation, contaminant assimilation and clearance rates, and dietary contaminant concentrations. Results are discussed in relation to the use of marine mammals for monitoring contaminant trends.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/211984}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1995},
month = {Sun Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1995}
}

Conference:
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