Organochlorine residues in northeaster Alberta otters

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01855855· OSTI ID:5269878

Somers, J D; Goski, B C; Barrett, M W

The use of organochlorine pesticides in North America has for the most part been legislatively curtailed during the last decade, and North American production of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCS's) was stopped in the 1970's. However, monitoring of chemical residues in fish and wildlife indicates that these persistent compound are still much in evidence throughout North America. Data on chemical residues in Alberta wildlife, particularly non-migratory species, is for the most part unknown. Otters (Lutra canadensis) are consumers of fish, invertebrates, amphibians and small mammals cohabiting their aquatic habitat. As carnivores at the terminus of their respective food chains, semi-aquatic mammals such as otter and mink (Mustela vison) may be expected to accumulate pesticides, PCBs and heavy metals. Otters are relatively sedentary and monitoring of chemical residues in their tissues might yield a diverse contaminant profile unique to the specific environs from which the animals are collected. The purpose of this report is to present chemical residue data for otters collected from aquatic habitats in northeastern Alberta.

• Research Organization: Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 5269878
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 39:5; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADIPOSE TISSUE
ALBERTA
ALDRIN
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BENZENE
BODY
CANADA
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DDT
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GLANDS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
INSECTICIDES
LIVER
MAMMALS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OTTERS
PESTICIDES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES