Mercury in waterfowl from Eastern Canada

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · J. Wildl. Manage.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3800565· OSTI ID:6386892

Pearce, P A; Price, I M; Reynolds, L M

Average wet-weight concentrations of total mercury were 0.15 and 0.31 ppm in breast muscle of 146 dabbling (Anatinae) and 61 diving ducks (Aythyinae) from 21 sites in eastern Canada sampled prior to the 1970 hunting season and during the 1971 season. Concentrations exceeded 0.5 ppm in only a few samples, mostly taken near known industrial sources of mercury contamination. In 128 pooled samples of muscle from the wings of 1480 ducks harvested in 13 regions during the 1970 season, mercury concentration averaged 0.13 ppm in both dabblers and divers. A highly significant relationship between mercury levels in wing muscle and those in breast muscle was found in black ducks (Anas rubripes) and lesser scaups (Aythya affinis). Ducks collected in 1971 and 1972 from the Wabigoon-English River watershed in northwestern Ontario were very highly contaminated, extreme concentrations of 9.43, 9.10, and 14.7 ppm being noted in the breast muscle of the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), blue-winged teal (A. discors), and common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), respectively. There was a suggestion that ducks collected within 80 km of the industrial source of mercury at Dryden had higher residues that those collected farther downstream. Wabigoon-English River waterfowl-mercury levels declined as the hunting season progressed, possibly due to the influx of uncontaminated ducks from the west and north.

• Research Organization: Canadian Wildlife Service, Fredericton, New Brunswick
• OSTI ID: 6386892
• Journal Information: J. Wildl. Manage.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Wildl. Manage.; (United States) Vol. 40:4; ISSN JWMAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
BIRDS
BUILDUP
CANADA
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DUCKS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FOWL
MASS TRANSFER
MERCURY
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES