Lead sources to California sea otters: Industrial inputs circumvent natural lead biodepletion mechanisms

Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Environmental Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(05)80076-3· OSTI ID:7235902

Smith, D R; Flegal, A R ^[1]; Niemeyer, S ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Santa Cruz (United States)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

Lead levels (as Pb/Ca atom ratios) and stable isotopic compositions were measured in teeth of preindustrial and contemporary California sea otters (Enhydra lutris) to determine if postindustrial changes had occurred in the magnitude and source of accumulated lead. Lead/calcium atom ratios in teeth of some contemporary animals were significantly elevated and compared to level in other contemporary and preindustrial otters. The isotopic ratios revealed a change in the sources of accumulated leads, from natural continental-derived lead in the preindustrial animals ({sup 207}Pb/{sup 206}Pb = 0.820 {plus minus} 0.002) to industrial sources dominated by aerosol lead in the contemporary otters ({sup 207}Pb/{sup 206}Pb = 0.853), who contained lead derived from an industrial waste lead deposit in Monterey Harbor. These data establish distinguishable sources of lead assimilated by sea otters, and indicate that elevated exposures to some animals circumvented the natural biodepletion of lead through marine trophic pathways.

• OSTI ID: 7235902
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Research; (United States) Vol. 57:2; ISSN ENVRA; ISSN 0013-9351
• 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.
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LEAD
LEAD 206
LEAD 207
LEAD ISOTOPES
METABOLISM
METALS
MILLISEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
POLLUTION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SENSITIVITY
STABLE ISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES