Relationships between organochlorine concentrations in liver and muscle of otters

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01701933· OSTI ID:6789200

Mason, C F ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Essex, Colchester (England)

The European otter (Lutra lutra) is now threatened or endangered over much of its European range. The decline, which has taken place mainly during the past three decades, has been attributed to the toxic effects of organochlorine residues, with emphasis being placed on dieldrin or PCBs. Few otters were analyzed for organochlorines during the main period of decline but there is not considerable interest in the species. Experiments with ranch mink (Mustela vison) have shown that reproductive failure occurs when PCB concentrations in thigh muscle approach 50 mg kg{sup {minus}1} lipid. Because otters are closely related and have similar habits this value is becoming widely used to interpret the potential significance of PCB concentrations determined in otters. Furthermore, although the mink data refer to concentrations in muscle, interpretations of concentrations in otters have frequently been based on analyses of livers. Because of the diverse sources of material in Europe, only limited tissues may be made available for analysis, while costs may also prohibit the analysis of several tissues from a single carcass. The relationship between concentrations of organochlorines in muscle and liver tissues in otters has not been determined. This is the purpose of the present communication.

• OSTI ID: 6789200
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA), Vol. 43:4; ISSN 0007-4861
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
UPTAKE
LIVER
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
MUSCLES
DDT
DIELDRIN
LINDANE
OTTERS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BODY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHLORINATED ALICYCLIC HYDROCARBONS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
GLANDS
HALOGENATED ALICYCLIC HYDROCARBONS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
INSECTICIDES
MAMMALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PESTICIDES
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology