Organochlorine residues in northeaster Alberta otters

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 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), Vol. 39:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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