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Chételat J, Jung TS, Awan M, Baryluk S, Harrower W, Kukka PM, McClelland C, Mowat G, Pelletier N, Rodford C, Stimmelmayr R. Tissue Distribution and Toxicological Risk Assessment of Mercury and Other Elements in Northern Populations of Wolverine (Gulo gulo). ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2024; 87:114-126. [PMID: 39097543 PMCID: PMC11377595 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-024-01081-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Wolverines are facultative scavengers that feed near the top of terrestrial food chains. We characterized concentrations of mercury and other trace elements in tissues of wolverine from a broad geographic area, representing much of their contemporary distribution in northwestern North America. We obtained tissues from 504 wolverines, from which mercury was measured on muscle (n = 448), kidney (n = 222), liver (n = 148), hair (n = 130), and brain (n = 52). In addition, methylmercury, seven trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, nickel, selenium), and arsenic compounds were measured on a subset of samples. Concentrations of mercury and other trace elements varied between tissues and were generally highest in kidney compared to brain, liver and muscle. Mercury was predominately as methylmercury in brain and muscle, but largely as inorganic mercury in liver and kidney. Mercury concentrations of hair were moderately correlated with those of internal tissues (Pearson r = 0.51-0.75, p ≤ 0.004), making hair a good non-lethal indicator of broad spatial or temporal differences in mercury exposure to wolverine. Arsenobetaine was the dominant arsenic compound identified in tissues, and arsenite, arsenocholine and dimethylarsinic acid were also detected. A preliminary risk assessment suggested the cadmium, lead, mercury, and selenium concentrations in our sample of wolverines were not likely to pose a risk of overt toxicological effects. This study generated a comprehensive dataset on mercury and other trace elements in wolverine, which will support future contaminants study of this northern terrestrial carnivore.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Thomas S Jung
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Malik Awan
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Arviat, NU, Canada
| | - Steven Baryluk
- Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories, Inuvik, NT, Canada
| | - William Harrower
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Piia M Kukka
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT, Canada
| | - Christine McClelland
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Garth Mowat
- Ministry of Forests, Government of British Columbia, Nelson, BC, Canada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pelletier
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Christine Rodford
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Raphaela Stimmelmayr
- Department of Wildlife Management, North Slope Borough, Utqiagvik, AK, USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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Peers MJL, Majchrzak YN, Studd EK, Menzies AK, Kukka PM, Konkolics SM, Boonstra R, Boutin S, Jung TS. Evaluation of Gum‐line Recession for Aging Lynx (
Lynx canadensis
). WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. L. Peers
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta T6G 2R3 Canada
| | - Yasmine N. Majchrzak
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta T6G 2R3 Canada
| | - Emily K. Studd
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montréal Québec H9X 3V9 Canada
| | - Allyson K. Menzies
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montréal Québec H9X 3V9 Canada
| | - Piia M. Kukka
- Department of Environment Government of Yukon Whitehorse Yukon Y1A 2C6 Canada
| | - Sean M. Konkolics
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta T6G 2R3 Canada
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto Ontario M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta T6G 2R3 Canada
| | - Thomas S. Jung
- Department of Environment Government of Yukon Whitehorse Yukon Y1A 2C6 Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta T6G 2H1 Canada
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