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Jung S, Besnard L, Li ML, R Reinfelder J, Kim E, Kwon SY, Kim JH. Interspecific Variations in the Internal Mercury Isotope Dynamics of Antarctic Penguins: Implications for Biomonitoring. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6349-6358. [PMID: 38531013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) biomonitoring requires a precise understanding of the internal processes contributing to disparities between the Hg sources in the environment and the Hg measured in the biota. In this study, we investigated the use of Hg stable isotopes to trace Hg accumulation in Adélie and emperor penguin chicks from four breeding colonies in Antarctica. Interspecific variation of Δ199Hg in penguin chicks reflects the distinct foraging habitats and Hg exposures in adults. Chicks at breeding sites where adult penguins predominantly consumed mesopelagic prey showed relatively lower Δ199Hg values than chicks that were primarily fed epipelagic krill. Substantial δ202Hg variations in chick tissues were observed in both species (Adélie: -0.11 to 1.13‰, emperor: -0.27 to 1.15‰), whereas only emperor penguins exhibited the lowest δ202Hg in the liver and the highest in the feathers. Our results indicate that tissue-specific δ202Hg variations and their positive correlations with % MeHg resulted from MeHg demethylation in the liver and kidneys of emperor penguin chicks, whereas Adélie penguin chicks showed different internal responses depending on their exposure to dietary MeHg. This study highlights the importance of considering intra- and interspecific variations in adult foraging ecology and MeHg demethylation when selecting penguin chicks for Hg biomonitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saebom Jung
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Lucien Besnard
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Mi-Ling Li
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - John R Reinfelder
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Eunhee Kim
- Citizens' Institute for Environmental Studies (CIES), Seoul 03039, South Korea
| | - Sae Yun Kwon
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
- Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University, 85 Songdogwahak-ro, Incheon 21983, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Hoon Kim
- Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), 26 Songdomirae-ro, Incheon 21990, South Korea
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2
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Schaap I, Buedenbender L, Johann S, Hollert H, Dogruer G. Impact of chemical pollution on threatened marine mammals: A systematic review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 459:132203. [PMID: 37567134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine mammals, due to their long life span, key position in the food web, and large lipid deposits, often face significant health risks from accumulating contaminants. This systematic review examines published literature on pollutant-induced adverse health effects in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red-listed marine mammal species. Thereby, identifying gaps in literature across different extinction risk categories, spatial distribution and climatic zones of studied habitats, commonly used methodologies, researched pollutants, and mechanisms from cellular to population levels. Our findings reveal a lower availability of exposure-effect data for higher extinction risk species (critically endangered 16%, endangered 15%, vulnerable 66%), highlighting the need for more research. For many threatened species in the Southern Hemisphere pollutant-effect relationships are not established. Non-destructively sampled tissues, like blood or skin, are commonly measured for exposure assessment. The most studied pollutants are POPs (31%), metals (30%), and pesticides (17%). Research on mixture toxicity is scarce while pollution-effect studies primarily focus on molecular and cellular levels. Bridging the gap between molecular data and higher-level effects is crucial, with computational approaches offering a high potential through in vitro to in vivo extrapolation using (toxico-)kinetic modelling. This could aid in population-level risk assessment for threatened marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Schaap
- Farm Technology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708PB Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Larissa Buedenbender
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
| | - Sarah Johann
- Department Evolutionary Ecology & Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- Department Evolutionary Ecology & Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department Environmental Media Related Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gulsah Dogruer
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen Research, 1976CP IJmuiden, the Netherlands
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3
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Peraza I, Chételat J, Richardson M, Jung TS, Awan M, Baryluk S, Dastoor A, Harrower W, Kukka PM, McClelland C, Mowat G, Pelletier N, Rodford C, Ryjkov A. Diet and landscape characteristics drive spatial patterns of mercury accumulation in a high-latitude terrestrial carnivore. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285826. [PMID: 37186585 PMCID: PMC10184919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Limited information exists on mercury concentrations and environmental drivers of mercury bioaccumulation in high latitude terrestrial carnivores. Spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in wolverine (Gulo gulo, n = 419) were assessed across a 1,600,000 km2 study area in relation to landscape, climate, diet and biological factors in Arctic and boreal biomes of western Canada. Hydrogen stable isotope ratios were measured in wolverine hair from a subset of 80 animals to assess the spatial scale for characterizing environmental conditions of their habitat. Habitat characteristics were determined using GIS methods and raster datasets at two scales, the collection location point and a 150 km radius buffer, which was selected based on results of a correlation analysis between hydrogen stable isotopes in precipitation and wolverine hair. Total mercury concentrations in wolverine muscle ranged >2 orders of magnitude from 0.01 to 5.72 μg/g dry weight and varied geographically, with the highest concentrations in the Northwest Territories followed by Nunavut and Yukon. Regression models at both spatial scales indicated diet (based on nitrogen stable isotope ratios) was the strongest explanatory variable of mercury concentrations in wolverine, with smaller though statistically significant contributions from landscape variables (soil organic carbon, percent cover of wet area, percent cover of perennial snow-ice) and distance to the Arctic Ocean coast. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of wolverine muscle suggested greater mercury bioaccumulation could be associated with feeding on marine biota in coastal habitats. Landscape variables identified in the modelling may reflect habitat conditions which support enhanced methylmercury transfer to terrestrial biota. Spatially-explicit estimates of wet atmospheric deposition were positively correlated with wolverine mercury concentrations but this variable was not selected in the final regression models. These landscape patterns provide a basis for further research on underlying processes enhancing methylmercury uptake in high latitude terrestrial food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Peraza
- Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Murray Richardson
- Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas S Jung
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Malik Awan
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Steve Baryluk
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | - Ashu Dastoor
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Air Quality Research Division, Dorval, Quebec, Canada
| | - William Harrower
- Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Piia M Kukka
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
| | - Christine McClelland
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Garth Mowat
- Ministry of Forests, British Columbia Government, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pelletier
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Rodford
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrei Ryjkov
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Air Quality Research Division, Dorval, Quebec, Canada
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Jonsson S, Mastromonaco MN, Wang F, Bravo AG, Cairns WRL, Chételat J, Douglas TA, Lescord G, Ukonmaanaho L, Heimbürger-Boavida LE. Arctic methylmercury cycling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:157445. [PMID: 35882324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic mercury (Hg) undergoes long-range transport to the Arctic where some of it is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg), potentially leading to high exposure in some Arctic inhabitants and wildlife. The environmental exposure of Hg is determined not just by the amount of Hg entering the Arctic, but also by biogeochemical and ecological processes occurring in the Arctic. These processes affect MeHg uptake in biota by regulating the bioavailability, methylation and demethylation, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of MeHg in Arctic ecosystems. Here, we present a new budget for pools and fluxes of MeHg in the Arctic and review the scientific advances made in the last decade on processes leading to environmental exposure to Hg. Methylation and demethylation are key processes controlling the pool of MeHg available for bioaccumulation. Methylation of Hg occurs in diverse Arctic environments including permafrost, sediments and the ocean water column, and is primarily a process carried out by microorganisms. While microorganisms carrying the hgcAB gene pair (responsible for Hg methylation) have been identified in Arctic soils and thawing permafrost, the formation pathway of MeHg in oxic marine waters remains less clear. Hotspots for methylation of Hg in terrestrial environments include thermokarst wetlands, ponds and lakes. The shallow sub-surface enrichment of MeHg in the Arctic Ocean, in comparison to other marine systems, is a possible explanation for high MeHg concentrations in some Arctic biota. Bioconcentration of aqueous MeHg in bacteria and algae is a critical step in the transfer of Hg to top predators, which may be dampened or enhanced by the presence of organic matter. Variable trophic position has an important influence on MeHg concentrations among populations of top predator species such as ringed seal and polar bears distributed across the circumpolar Arctic. These scientific advances highlight key processes that affect the fate of anthropogenic Hg deposited to Arctic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofi Jonsson
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | - Feiyue Wang
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, and Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Warren R L Cairns
- CNR Institute of Polar Sciences and Ca' Foscari University, Venice, Italy
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas A Douglas
- U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Fort Wainwright, AK, USA
| | - Gretchen Lescord
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and Laurentian University, Vale Living with Lakes Center, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Liisa Ukonmaanaho
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00791 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- CNRS/INSU,Aix Marseille Université,Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France
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5
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Borgå K, McKinney MA, Routti H, Fernie KJ, Giebichenstein J, Hallanger I, Muir DCG. The influence of global climate change on accumulation and toxicity of persistent organic pollutants and chemicals of emerging concern in Arctic food webs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1544-1576. [PMID: 35179539 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00469g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes current understanding of how climate change-driven physical and ecological processes influence the levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and contaminants of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) in Arctic biota and food webs. The review also highlights how climate change may interact with other stressors to impact contaminant toxicity, and the utility of modeling and newer research tools in closing knowledge gaps on climate change-contaminant interactions. Permafrost thaw is influencing the concentrations of POPs in freshwater ecosystems. Physical climate parameters, including climate oscillation indices, precipitation, water salinity, sea ice age, and sea ice quality show statistical associations with POPs concentrations in multiple Arctic biota. Northward range-shifting species can act as biovectors for POPs and CEACs into Arctic marine food webs. Shifts in trophic position can alter POPs concentrations in populations of Arctic species. Reductions in body condition are associated with increases in levels of POPs in some biota. Although collectively understudied, multiple stressors, including contaminants and climate change, may act to cumulatively impact some populations of Arctic biota. Models are useful for predicting the net result of various contrasting climate-driven processes on POP and CEAC exposures; however, for some parameters, especially food web changes, insufficient data exists with which to populate such models. In addition to the impact of global regulations on POP levels in Arctic biota, this review demonstrates that there are various direct and indirect mechanisms by which climate change can influence contaminant exposure, accumulation, and effects; therefore, it is important to attribute POP variations to the actual contributing factors to inform future regulations and policies. To do so, a broad range of habitats, species, and processes must be considered for a thorough understanding and interpretation of the consequences to the distribution, accumulation, and effects of environmental contaminants. Given the complex interactions between climate change, contaminants, and ecosystems, it is important to plan for long-term, integrated pan-Arctic monitoring of key biota and ecosystems, and to collect ancillary data, including information on climate-related parameters, local meteorology, ecology, and physiology, and when possible, behavior, when carrying out research on POPs and CEACs in biota and food webs of the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada.
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | | | | | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
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6
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Dietz R, Wilson S, Loseto LL, Dommergue A, Xie Z, Sonne C, Chételat J. Special issue on the AMAP 2021 assessment of mercury in the Arctic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:157020. [PMID: 35764153 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This Editorial presents an overview of the Special Issue on advances in Arctic mercury (Hg) science synthesized from the 2021 assessment of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP). Mercury continues to travel to Arctic environments and threaten wildlife and human health in this circumpolar region. Over the last decade, progress has been achieved in addressing policy-relevant uncertainties in environmental Hg contamination. This includes temporal trends of Hg, its transport to and within the Arctic, methylmercury cycling, climate change influences, biological effects of Hg on fish and wildlife, human exposure to Hg, and forecasting of Arctic responses to different future scenarios of anthropogenic Hg emissions. In addition, important contributions of Indigenous Peoples to Arctic research and monitoring of Hg are highlighted, including through projects of knowledge co-production. Finally, policy-relevant recommendations are summarized for future study of Arctic mercury. This series of scientific articles presents comprehensive information relevant to supporting effectiveness evaluation of the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Lisa L Loseto
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6, Canada; Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Aurélien Dommergue
- Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Univ Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble INP, France
| | - Zhouqing Xie
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Christian Sonne
- Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
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7
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Morris AD, Wilson SJ, Fryer RJ, Thomas PJ, Hudelson K, Andreasen B, Blévin P, Bustamante P, Chastel O, Christensen G, Dietz R, Evans M, Evenset A, Ferguson SH, Fort J, Gamberg M, Grémillet D, Houde M, Letcher RJ, Loseto L, Muir D, Pinzone M, Poste A, Routti H, Sonne C, Stern G, Rigét FF. Temporal trends of mercury in Arctic biota: 10 more years of progress in Arctic monitoring. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 839:155803. [PMID: 35561904 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Temporal trend analysis of (total) mercury (THg) concentrations in Arctic biota were assessed as part of the 2021 Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Mercury Assessment. A mixed model including an evaluation of non-linear trends was applied to 110 time series of THg concentrations from Arctic and Subarctic biota. Temporal trends were calculated for full time series (6-46 years) and evaluated with a particular focus on recent trends over the last 20 years. Three policy-relevant questions were addressed: (1) What time series for THg concentrations in Arctic biota are currently available? (2) Are THg concentrations changing over time in biota from the Arctic? (3) Are there spatial patterns in THg trends in biota from the Arctic? Few geographical patterns of recent trends in THg concentrations were observed; however, those in marine mammals tended to be increasing at more easterly longitudes, and those of seabirds tended to be increasing in the Northeast Atlantic; these should be interpreted with caution as geographic coverage remains variable. Trends of THg in freshwater fish were equally increasing and decreasing or non-significant while those in marine fish and mussels were non-significant or increasing. The statistical power to detect trends was greatly improved compared to the 2011 AMAP Mercury Assessment; 70% of the time series could detect a 5% annual change at the 5% significance level with power ≥ 80%, while in 2011 only 19% met these criteria. Extending existing time series, and availability of new, powerful time series contributed to these improvements, highlighting the need for annual monitoring, particularly given the spatial and temporal information needed to support initiatives such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Collecting the same species/tissues across different locations is recommended. Extended time series from Alaska and new data from Russia are also needed to better establish circumarctic patterns of temporal trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Morris
- Northern Contaminants Program, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, 15 Eddy Street, 14th floor, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H4, Canada.
| | - Simon J Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, The Fram Centre, Box 6606 Stakkevollan, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Rob J Fryer
- Marine Scotland, Marine Laboratory, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB11 9DB, UK
| | - Philippe J Thomas
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en bois, France
| | | | - Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Marlene Evans
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3H5, Canada
| | | | - Steven H Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | | | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en bois, France; Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Magali Houde
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Lisa Loseto
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Derek Muir
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | | | - Amanda Poste
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
| | - Christian Sonne
- Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Gary Stern
- Centre for Earth Observation Sciences (CEOS), University of Manitoba, 125 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Frank F Rigét
- Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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8
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Treu G, Sinding MHS, Czirják GÁ, Dietz R, Gräff T, Krone O, Marquard-Petersen U, Mikkelsen JB, Schulz R, Sonne C, Søndergaard J, Sun J, Zubrod J, Eulaers I. An assessment of mercury and its dietary drivers in fur of Arctic wolves from Greenland and High Arctic Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156171. [PMID: 35613645 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury has become a ubiquitous hazardous element even ending up in pristine areas such as the Arctic, where it biomagnifies and leaves especially top predators vulnerable to potential health effects. Here we investigate total mercury (THg) concentrations and dietary proxies for trophic position and habitat foraging (δ15N and δ13C, respectively) in fur of 30 Arctic wolves collected during 1869-1998 in the Canadian High Arctic and Greenland. Fur THg concentrations (mean ± SD) of 1.46 ± 1.39 μg g -1 dry weight are within the range of earlier reported values for other Arctic terrestrial species. Based on putative thresholds for Hg-mediated toxic health effects, the studied Arctic wolves have most likely not been at compromised health. Dietary proxies show high dietary plasticity among Arctic wolves deriving nutrition from both marine and terrestrial food sources at various trophic positions. Variability in THg concentrations seem to be related to the wolves' trophic position rather than to different carbon sources or regional differences (East Greenland, the Foxe Basin and Baffin Bay area, respectively). Although the present study remains limited due to the scarce, yet unique historic study material and small sample size, it provides novel information on temporal and spatial variation in Hg pollution of remote Arctic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Treu
- German Environment Agency, Department Chemicals, DE-06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Wildlife Diseases, DE-10315 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Mikkel-Holger S Sinding
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Wildlife Diseases, DE-10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Thomas Gräff
- German Environment Agency, Department Systems on Chemical Safety, DE-6844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Oliver Krone
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Wildlife Diseases, DE-10315 Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, DE-76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jens Søndergaard
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jiachen Sun
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, CN-266003 Qingdao, China
| | - Jochen Zubrod
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, DE-76829 Landau, Germany; Zubrod Environmental Data Science, Friesenstrasse 20, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Fram Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
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9
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McKinney MA, Chételat J, Burke SM, Elliott KH, Fernie KJ, Houde M, Kahilainen KK, Letcher RJ, Morris AD, Muir DCG, Routti H, Yurkowski DJ. Climate change and mercury in the Arctic: Biotic interactions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 834:155221. [PMID: 35427623 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change has led to profound alterations of the Arctic environment and ecosystems, with potential secondary effects on mercury (Hg) within Arctic biota. This review presents the current scientific evidence for impacts of direct physical climate change and indirect ecosystem change on Hg exposure and accumulation in Arctic terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms. As the marine environment is elevated in Hg compared to the terrestrial environment, terrestrial herbivores that now exploit coastal/marine foods when terrestrial plants are iced over may be exposed to higher Hg concentrations. Conversely, certain populations of predators, including Arctic foxes and polar bears, have shown lower Hg concentrations related to reduced sea ice-based foraging and increased land-based foraging. How climate change influences Hg in Arctic freshwater fishes is not clear, but for lacustrine populations it may depend on lake-specific conditions, including interrelated alterations in lake ice duration, turbidity, food web length and energy sources (benthic to pelagic), and growth dilution. In several marine mammal and seabird species, tissue Hg concentrations have shown correlations with climate and weather variables, including climate oscillation indices and sea ice trends; these findings suggest that wind, precipitation, and cryosphere changes that alter Hg transport and deposition are impacting Hg concentrations in Arctic marine organisms. Ecological changes, including northward range shifts of sub-Arctic species and altered body condition, have also been shown to affect Hg levels in some populations of Arctic marine species. Given the limited number of populations and species studied to date, especially within Arctic terrestrial and freshwater systems, further research is needed on climate-driven processes influencing Hg concentrations in Arctic ecosystems and their net effects. Long-term pan-Arctic monitoring programs should consider ancillary datasets on climate, weather, organism ecology and physiology to improve interpretation of spatial variation and time trends of Hg in Arctic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada.
| | - John Chételat
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Samantha M Burke
- Minnow Aquatic Environmental Services, Guelph, ON N1H 1E9, Canada
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Magali Houde
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, QC H2Y 5E7, Canada
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, FI-16900 Lammi, Finland
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Adam D Morris
- Northern Contaminants Program, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Gatineau, QC J8X 2V6, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - David J Yurkowski
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
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10
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Griffen BD, Whiteman JP, Pullan S. Significance of autumn and winter food consumption for reproduction by Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears, Ursus maritimus. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPolar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea experience long annual periods when preferred seal prey are scarce or are unavailable. Consumption of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) carcasses from native Alaskan subsistence hunting is increasingly common for onshore polar bears, yet the energetic consequences of this consumption remain unclear. We use data on bears captured repeatedly over periods that encompassed autumn and winter, combined with calculations, to show that adult female bears likely consume an average of at least 4 seal equivalents during both autumn and winter periods and that considerable variation in energy intake exists across individual bears. We further show that subsistence-caught whale carcasses provide an upper threshold of > 4000 seal equivalents, which could potentially meet mean consumption needs of ~ 80% of the southern Beaufort Sea bear subpopulation during autumn and winter periods. Finally, we modify an existing model to show that observed mass changes over autumn and winter could substantially alter spring foraging habitat choice by females with cubs and the chance that a female with reduced energy reserves would abort a pregnancy or abandon cubs in favor of increasing her own survival; these behaviors could potentially influence population vital rates. Our study highlights the importance of mass dynamics over the autumn and winter months, points to the need for additional data on foraging and energetics over this period, and indicates that the recent declines in polar bear body condition in some subpopulations could have complex effects on reproduction.
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11
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Lippold A, Boltunov A, Aars J, Andersen M, Blanchet MA, Dietz R, Eulaers I, Morshina TN, Sevastyanov VS, Welker JM, Routti H. Spatial variation in mercury concentrations in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) hair from the Norwegian and Russian Arctic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153572. [PMID: 35121036 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We examined spatial variation in total mercury (THg) concentrations in 100 hair samples collected between 2008 and 2016 from 87 polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the Norwegian (Svalbard Archipelago, western Barents Sea) and Russian Arctic (Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, and Chukchi Sea). We used latitude and longitude of home range centroid for the Norwegian bears and capture position for the Russian bears to account for the locality. We additionally examined hair stable isotope values of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) to investigate feeding habits and their possible effect on THg concentrations. Median THg levels in polar bears from the Norwegian Arctic (1.99 μg g-1 dry weight) and the three Russian Arctic regions (1.33-1.75 μg g-1 dry weight) constituted about 25-50% of levels typically reported for the Greenlandic or North American populations. Total Hg concentrations in the Norwegian bears increased with intake of marine and higher trophic prey, while δ13C and δ15N did not explain variation in THg concentrations in the Russian bears. Total Hg levels were higher in northwest compared to southeast Svalbard. δ13C and δ15N values did not show any spatial pattern in the Norwegian Arctic. Total Hg concentrations adjusted for feeding ecology showed similar spatial trends as the measured concentrations. In contrast, within the Russian Arctic, THg levels were rather uniformly distributed, whereas δ13C values increased towards the east and south. The results indicate that Hg exposure in Norwegian and Russian polar bears is at the lower end of the pan-Arctic spectrum, and its spatial variation in the Norwegian and Russian Arctic is not driven by the feeding ecology of polar bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lippold
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | - Andrei Boltunov
- Marine Mammal Research and Expedition Centre, 36 Nahimovskiy pr., Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Jon Aars
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | | | - Marie-Anne Blanchet
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway; UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø 9019, Norway
| | - Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Institute of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway; Aarhus University, Institute of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Tamara N Morshina
- Research and Production Association "Typhoon", 249038 Obninsk, Kaluga Region, Russia
| | | | - Jeffrey M Welker
- University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage 99508, United States; University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland; University of the Arctic, Rovaniemi 96460, Finland
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway.
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12
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Zhang X, Xie Q, Yu RQ, Wu Y. Temporal Trends of Alternative Halogenated Flame Retardants in Humpback Dolphins from the South China Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5037-5048. [PMID: 35394783 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Increasing human activities are altering marine ecosystems, which may have ramifications for predator feeding ecology and, thus, the degree of contaminant exposure. We conducted the first investigation of spatiotemporal trends for nine alternative halogenated flame retardants (AHFRs) and their relations with dietary variations in 128 humpback dolphins that were stranded along the northern South China Sea during 2003-2020. We detected the highest levels of seven major AHFRs in humpback dolphins compared with the results reported in cetaceans globally, indicating high AHFR contamination in coastal regions of South China. Dolphins that were stranded near urban regions generally contained higher AHFR concentrations than those that were stranded near rural areas, mirroring the environmental trends of AHFRs occurring in this area. Model-generated diet estimates suggested that humpback dolphins have reduced their consumption of high trophic-level prey in recent years, likely attributable to overfishing-induced prey decline in this region. After adjusting AHFR concentrations due to diet changes, the temporal trends of AHFR contamination in humpback dolphins were only slightly altered. Our results suggest that increasing discharges of AHFRs into the South China Sea during the 2000s and 2010s may have had a greater influence on AHFR trends in humpback dolphins than dietary shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyang Zhang
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Qiang Xie
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Ri-Qing Yu
- Department of Biology, Center for Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas 75799, United States
| | - Yuping Wu
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China
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13
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Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23372. [PMID: 34862385 PMCID: PMC8642428 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota may modulate the disposition and toxicity of environmental contaminants within a host but, conversely, contaminants may also impact gut bacteria. Such contaminant-gut microbial connections, which could lead to alteration of host health, remain poorly known and are rarely studied in free-ranging wildlife. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a long-lived, wide-ranging apex predator that feeds on a variety of high trophic position seal and cetacean species and, as such, is exposed to among the highest levels of biomagnifying contaminants of all Arctic species. Here, we investigate associations between mercury (THg; a key Arctic contaminant), diet, and the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota of polar bears inhabiting the southern Beaufort Sea, while accounting for host sex, age class and body condition. Bacterial diversity was negatively associated with seal consumption and mercury, a pattern seen for both Shannon and Inverse Simpson alpha diversity indices (adjusted R2 = 0.35, F1,18 = 8.00, P = 0.013 and adjusted R2 = 0.26, F1,18 = 6.04, P = 0.027, respectively). No association was found with sex, age class or body condition of polar bears. Bacteria known to either be involved in THg methylation or considered to be highly contaminant resistant, including Lactobacillales, Bacillales and Aeromonadales, were significantly more abundant in individuals that had higher THg concentrations. Conversely, individuals with higher THg concentrations showed a significantly lower abundance of Bacteroidales, a bacterial order that typically plays an important role in supporting host immune function by stimulating intraepithelial lymphocytes within the epithelial barrier. These associations between diet-acquired mercury and microbiota illustrate a potentially overlooked outcome of mercury accumulation in polar bears.
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14
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Desforges JP, Mikkelsen B, Dam M, Rigét F, Sveegaard S, Sonne C, Dietz R, Basu N. Mercury and neurochemical biomarkers in multiple brain regions of five Arctic marine mammals. Neurotoxicology 2021; 84:136-145. [PMID: 33774067 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Mercury is a neurotoxic chemical that represents one of the greatest pollution threats to Arctic ecosystem health. Evaluating the direct neurotoxic effects of mercury in free ranging wildlife is challenging, necessitating the use of neurochemical biomarkers to assess potential sub-clinical neurological changes. The objective of this study was to characterize the distribution and speciation of mercury, as well as exposure-associated changes in neurochemistry, across multiple brain regions (n = 10) and marine mammal species (n = 5) that each occupy a trophic niche in the Arctic ecosystem. We found consistent species differences in mean brain and brain region-specific concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MeHg), with higher concentrations in toothed whales (narwhal, pilot whales and harbour porpoise) compared to fur-bearing mammals (polar bear and ringed seal). Mean THg (μg/g dw) in decreasing rank order was: pilot whale (11.9) > narwhal (7.7) > harbour porpoise (3.6) > polar bear (0.6) > ringed seal (0.2). The higher THg concentrations in toothed whales was associated with a marked reduction in the percentage of MeHg (<40 %) compared to polar bears (>70 %) that had lower brain THg concentrations. This pattern in mercury concentration and speciation corresponded broadly to an overall higher number of mercury-associated neurochemical biomarker correlations in toothed whales. Of the 226 correlations between mercury and neurochemical biomarkers across brain regions, we found 60 (27 %) meaningful relationships (r>0.60 or p < 0.10). We add to the growing weight of evidence that wildlife accumulate mercury in their brains and demonstrate that there is variance in accumulation across species as well as across distinct brain regions, and that some of these exposures may be associated with sub-clinical changes in neurochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Desforges
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
| | - B Mikkelsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute, Nóatún 1, FO-100, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - M Dam
- Environment Agency, Research, Traðagøta 38, P.O. Box 2048, FO-165, Argir, Faroe Islands
| | - F Rigét
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000, Denmark
| | - S Sveegaard
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000, Denmark
| | - C Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000, Denmark
| | - R Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000, Denmark
| | - N Basu
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
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15
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McCormack MA, Jackson BP, Dutton J. Relationship between mercury and selenium concentrations in tissues from stranded odontocetes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 749:141350. [PMID: 33370896 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Odontocetes are apex predators that, despite accumulating mercury (Hg) to high concentrations in their tissues, show few signs of Hg toxicity. One method of Hg detoxification in odontocetes includes the sequestering of Hg in toxicologically inert mercury selenide (HgSe) compounds. To explore the tissue-specific accumulation of Hg and Se and the potential protective role of Se against Hg toxicity, we measured the concentrations of total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se) in multiple tissues from 11 species of odontocetes that stranded along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast [Florida (FL) and Louisiana (LA)]. Tissues were collected primarily from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus; n = 93); however, individuals from species in the following 8 genera were also sampled: Feresa (n = 1), Globicephala (n = 1), Grampus (n = 2), Kogia (n = 5), Mesoplodon (n = 1), Peponocephala (n = 4), Stenella (n = 9), and Steno (n = 1). In all species, mean THg concentrations were greatest in the liver and lowest in the blubber, lung, or skin. In contrast, in most species, mean Se concentrations were greatest in the liver, lung, or skin, and lowest in the blubber. For all species combined, Se:Hg molar ratios decreased with increasing THg concentration in the blubber, kidney, liver, lung, and skin following an exponential decay relationship. In bottlenose dolphins, THg concentrations in the kidney, liver, and lung were significantly greater in FL dolphins compared to LA dolphins. On average, in bottlenose dolphins, Se:Hg molar ratios were approximately 1:1 in the liver and >1:1 in blubber, kidney, lung, and skin, suggesting that Se likely protects against Hg toxicity. However, more research is necessary to understand the variation in Hg accumulation within and among species and to assess how Hg, in combination with other environmental stressors, influences odontocete population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan A McCormack
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Jessica Dutton
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
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16
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Houde M, Taranu ZE, Wang X, Young B, Gagnon P, Ferguson SH, Kwan M, Muir DC. Mercury in Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida) from the Canadian Arctic in Relation to Time and Climate Parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2020; 39:2462-2474. [PMID: 33025637 PMCID: PMC7756774 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is found in Arctic marine mammals that are important in the diet of northern Indigenous peoples. The objectives of the present long-term study, spanning a 45-yr period, were to 1) investigate the temporal trends of total mercury (THg; muscle and liver) and selenium (Se; liver) in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from different regions of the Canadian Arctic; and 2) examine possible relationships with age, diet, and climate parameters such as air temperature, precipitation, climatic indices, and ice-coverage. Ringed seals were collected by hunters in northern communities in the Beaufort Sea, Central Arctic, Eastern Baffin Island, Hudson Bay, and Ungava/Nunatsiavut regions (Canada) between 1972 and 2017. Mercury levels did not change through time in seal liver, but THg levels in muscle decreased in seals from Hudson Bay (-0.91%/yr) and Ungava/Nunatsiavut (-1.30%/yr). Carbon stable isotope values in seal muscle decreased significantly through time in 4 regions. Selenium-to-THg ratios were found to be >1 for all years and regions. Variation partitioning analyses across regions indicated that THg trends in seals were mostly explained by age (7.3-21.7%), climate parameters (3.5-12.5%), and diet (up to 9%); climate indices (i.e., Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations, Pacific/North American pattern) explained the majority of the climate portion. The THg levels had a positive relationship with Arctic Oscillation for multiple regions. Associations of THg with air temperature, total precipitation, and sea-ice coverage, as well as with North Atlantic Oscillation and Pacific/North American pattern were found to vary with tissue type and geographical area. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2462-2474. © 2020 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Houde
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaMontrealQuebecCanada
| | | | - Xiaowa Wang
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | - Brent Young
- Arctic Aquatic Research DivisionDepartment of Fisheries and OceansWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - P. Gagnon
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Steve H. Ferguson
- Arctic Aquatic Research DivisionDepartment of Fisheries and OceansWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | | | - Derek C.G. Muir
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
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17
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Bourque J, Desforges JP, Levin M, Atwood TC, Sonne C, Dietz R, Jensen TH, Curry E, McKinney MA. Climate-associated drivers of plasma cytokines and contaminant concentrations in Beaufort Sea polar bears (Ursus maritimus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 745:140978. [PMID: 32738684 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Assessing polar bear (Ursus maritimus) immune function in relation to environmental stressors, including habitat change, nutritional stress, pathogen prevalence, and pollution, has been identified as critical for improved understanding of the species' health. The objectives of this study were two-fold: 1) to assess the role of climate-associated factors (habitat use, body condition) in explaining the plasma concentrations of contaminants in southern Beaufort Sea (SB) polar bears, and 2) to investigate how climate-associated factors, contaminant concentrations, and pathogen sero-prevalence influence the plasma concentrations of immune-signaling proteins called cytokines. A commercially available multiplex canine cytokine panel was validated for the quantification of five pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in polar bear plasma: tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10, and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10). This panel was then used to measure cytokine concentrations in 49 SB polar bears sampled in the springs of 2013 and 2014. Mean ∑PCBs (plasma), ∑OCs (plasma), and THg (hair) were 13.01 ± 1.52 ng g-1 w.w. (range: 0.17-52.63), 19.46 ± 1.17 ng g-1 w.w. (range: 6.63-45.82), and 0.49 μg g-1 d.w. (range: 0.99-15.18), respectively. Top models explaining variation in concentrations of plasma PCBs, plasma OC pesticides, and hair THg in SB polar bears included body mass index and/or habitat use (onshore versus offshore), with higher contaminant concentrations in leaner and/or offshore bears. Plasma cytokine concentrations were influenced most strongly by plasma PCBs and age, with little to no influence found for plasma OCs or hair THg concentrations, habitat use, or pathogen sero-prevalence. The lack of association between cytokines and these latter variables is likely due to a temporal disconnect between measured endpoints. The change of polar bear habitat use, feeding ecology, and body condition with ongoing climate warming is affecting exposure to contaminants and pathogens, with potential adverse consequences on a well-balanced immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Bourque
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Milton Levin
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Todd C Atwood
- US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Trine H Jensen
- Aalborg Zoo/Aalborg University, Mølleparkvej 63, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Erin Curry
- Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
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18
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Ning X, Gui D, He X, Wu Y. Diet Shifts Explain Temporal Trends of Pollutant Levels in Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins ( Sousa chinensis) from the Pearl River Estuary, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:13110-13120. [PMID: 33031699 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We examined spatiotemporal trends of diet compositions and their relationship with pollutant accumulation levels in 46 weaning Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (n = 46) from 2004 to 2017 in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) based on blubber fatty acid signatures using quantitative fatty acid signature analysis in R (QFASAR). Fifty-one potential prey species were tested, among which 13 had a mean relative proportion greater than 1% in dolphin diets. Bombay duck was the predominant prey species, followed by Dussumier's thryssa and mullet, whereas other prey species were present at considerably reduced proportions in diets. The proportion of larger fishes (Bombay duck and mullet) in the diet has exhibited a significant decreasing trend in recent years, whereas the smaller fish (Dussumier's thryssa) steadily increased over the whole period, possibly due to the severe impacts of climate change and other human stressors on large fishes in estuarine waters. The proportions of Bombay duck in the diet were significantly and positively correlated with hepatic Cr levels in dolphins, whereas the temporal change in Bombay duck consumption mirrored that in the hepatic levels of several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, because Bombay duck was the most contaminated species among all the prey fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Ning
- School of Marine Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Duan Gui
- School of Marine Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Xiaoxiao He
- School of Marine Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Yuping Wu
- School of Marine Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, China
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
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Peterson SH, Ackerman JT, Hartman CA, Casazza ML, Feldheim CL, Herzog MP. Mercury exposure in mammalian mesopredators inhabiting a brackish marsh. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 273:115808. [PMID: 33497946 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants in mammalian predators can serve as an indicator of ecosystem health. We examined mercury concentrations of raccoons (Procyon lotor; n = 37 individuals) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis; n = 87 individuals) in Suisun Marsh, California, a large brackish marsh that is characterized by contiguous tracts of tidal marsh and seasonally impounded wetlands. Mean (standard error; range) total mercury concentrations in adult hair grown from 2015 to 2018 were 28.50 μg/g dw (3.05 μg/g dw; range: 4.46-81.01 μg/g dw) in raccoons and 4.85 μg/g dw (0.54 μg/g dw; range: 1.53-27.02 μg/g dw) in striped skunks. We reviewed mammalian hair mercury concentrations in the literature and raccoon mercury concentrations in Suisun Marsh were among the highest observed for wild mammals. Although striped skunk hair mercury concentrations were 83% lower than raccoons, they were higher than proposed background levels for mercury in mesopredator hair (1-5 μg/g). Hair mercury concentrations in skunks and raccoons were not related to animal size, but mercury concentrations were higher in skunks in poorer body condition. Large inter-annual differences in hair mercury concentrations suggest that methylmercury exposure to mammalian predators varied among years. Mercury concentrations of raccoon hair grown in 2017 were 2.7 times greater than hair grown in 2015, 1.7 times greater than hair grown in 2016, and 1.6 times greater than hair grown in 2018. Annual mean raccoon and skunk hair mercury concentrations increased with wetland habitat area. Furthermore, during 2017, raccoon hair mercury concentrations increased with the proportion of raccoon home ranges that was wetted habitat, as quantified using global positioning system (GPS) collars. The elevated mercury concentrations we observed in raccoons and skunks suggest that other wildlife at similar or higher trophic positions may also be exposed to elevated methylmercury bioaccumulation in brackish marshes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - C Alex Hartman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Michael L Casazza
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Cliff L Feldheim
- California Department of Water Resources, 3500 Industrial Blvd #131, West Sacramento, CA 95691, USA
| | - Mark P Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
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Lippold A, Aars J, Andersen M, Aubail A, Derocher AE, Dietz R, Eulaers I, Sonne C, Welker JM, Wiig Ø, Routti H. Two Decades of Mercury Concentrations in Barents Sea Polar Bears ( Ursus maritimus) in Relation to Dietary Carbon, Sulfur, and Nitrogen. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:7388-7397. [PMID: 32410455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Temporal trends of total mercury (THg) were examined in female polar bear (Ursus maritimus) hair (n = 199) from the Barents Sea in 1995-2016. In addition, hair values of stable isotopes (n = 190-197) of carbon (δ13C), sulfur (δ34S), and nitrogen (δ15N) and information on breeding status, body condition, and age were obtained. Stable isotope values of carbon and sulfur reflect dietary source (e.g., marine vs terrestrial) and the nitrogen trophic level. Values for δ13C and δ34S declined by -1.62 and -1.18‰ over the time of the study period, respectively, while values for δ15N showed no trend. Total Hg concentrations were positively related to both δ13C and δ34S. Yearly median THg concentrations ranged from 1.61 to 2.75 μg/g and increased nonlinearly by 0.86 μg/g in total over the study. Correcting THg concentrations for stable isotope values of carbon and sulfur and additionally breeding status and age slightly accelerated the increase in THg concentrations; however, confidence intervals of the raw THg trend and the corrected THg trend had substantial overlap. The rise in THg concentrations in the polar bear food web was possibly related to climate-related re-emissions of previously stored Hg from thawing sea-ice, glaciers, and permafrost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lippold
- Fram Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | - Jon Aars
- Fram Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | | | - Aurore Aubail
- Littoral, Environment and Societies (CNRS/La Rochelle University), La Rochelle 17000, France
| | - Andrew E Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Rune Dietz
- Institute of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Institute of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Christian Sonne
- Institute of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Jeffrey M Welker
- University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage 99508, United States
- University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland
- University of the Arctic, Rovaniemi 96460, Finland
| | - Øystein Wiig
- Fram Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø 9296, Norway
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Heli Routti
- Fram Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø 9296, Norway
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21
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Chételat J, Ackerman JT, Eagles-Smith CA, Hebert CE. Methylmercury exposure in wildlife: A review of the ecological and physiological processes affecting contaminant concentrations and their interpretation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 711:135117. [PMID: 31831233 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) can result in detrimental health effects in wildlife. With advances in ecological indicators and analytical techniques for measurement of MeHg in a variety of tissues, numerous processes have been identified that can influence MeHg concentrations in wildlife. This review presents a synthesis of theoretical principals and applied information for measuring MeHg exposure and interpreting MeHg concentrations in wildlife. Mercury concentrations in wildlife are the net result of ecological processes influencing dietary exposure combined with physiological processes that regulate assimilation, transformation, and elimination. Therefore, consideration of both physiological and ecological processes should be integrated when formulating biomonitoring strategies. Ecological indicators, particularly stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, compound-specific stable isotopes, and fatty acids, can be effective tools to evaluate dietary MeHg exposure. Animal species differ in their physiological capacity for MeHg elimination, and animal tissues can be inert or physiologically active, act as sites of storage, transformation, or excretion of MeHg, and vary in the timing of MeHg exposure they represent. Biological influences such as age, sex, maternal transfer, and growth or fasting are also relevant for interpretation of tissue MeHg concentrations. Wildlife tissues that represent current or near-term bioaccumulation and in which MeHg is the predominant mercury species (such as blood and eggs) are most effective for biomonitoring ecosystems and understanding landscape drivers of MeHg exposure. Further research is suggested to critically evaluate the use of keratinized external tissues to measure MeHg bioaccumulation, particularly for less-well studied wildlife such as reptiles and terrestrial mammals. Suggested methods are provided to effectively use wildlife for quantifying patterns and drivers of MeHg bioaccumulation over time and space, as well as for assessing the potential risk and toxicological effects of MeHg on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA 95620, United States
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - Craig E Hebert
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
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22
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Yurkowski DJ, Richardson ES, Lunn NJ, Muir DCG, Johnson AC, Derocher AE, Ehrman AD, Houde M, Young BG, Debets CD, Sciullo L, Thiemann GW, Ferguson SH. Contrasting Temporal Patterns of Mercury, Niche Dynamics, and Body Fat Indices of Polar Bears and Ringed Seals in a Melting Icescape. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:2780-2789. [PMID: 32046488 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b06656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and ringed seals (Pusa hispida) have a strong predator-prey relationship and are facing climate-associated Arctic habitat loss and harmful dietary exposure to total mercury (THg) and other pollutants. However, little is known about whether both species inhabiting the same area exhibit similar temporal patterns in Hg concentration, niche dynamics, and body fat indices. We used THg, δ13C, and δ15N values of western Hudson Bay polar bear hair (2004-2016) and ringed seal muscle samples (2003-2015) to investigate temporal trends of these variables and multidimensional niche metrics, as well as body fat indices for both species. We found a decline in THg concentration (by 3.8% per year) and δ13C (by 1.5‰) in ringed seals suggesting a change in feeding habits and carbon source use over time, whereas no significant changes occurred in polar bears. In contrast, the polar bear 3-dimensional niche size decreased by nearly half with no change in ringed seal niche size. The δ13C spacing between both species increased by approximately 1.5× suggesting different responses to annual changes in sympagic-pelagic carbon source production. Ringed seal body fat index was higher in years of earlier sea ice breakup with no change occurring in polar bears. These findings indicate that both species are responding differently to a changing environment suggesting a possible weakening of their predator-prey relationship in western Hudson Bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Yurkowski
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Evan S Richardson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba MB R3B 2B4, Canada
| | - Nicholas J Lunn
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Edmonton, Alberta AB T5J 0J4, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Amy C Johnson
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | | | - Ashley D Ehrman
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Magali Houde
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montreal, Quebec QC H2Y 2E7, Canada
| | - Brent G Young
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | | | - Luana Sciullo
- York University, Toronto, Ontario ON M3J 1P3, Canada
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23
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Bechshoft T, Dyck M, St Pierre KA, Derocher AE, St Louis V. The use of hair as a proxy for total and methylmercury burdens in polar bear muscle tissue. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 686:1120-1128. [PMID: 31412508 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are an ecologically important species in the Arctic, whose health, and that of the people whose livelihoods depend on them, are increasingly affected by climate change and the bioaccumulation of contaminants such as mercury (Hg). Although methylmercury (MeHg) is the toxic form of Hg that biomagnifies up food webs, risk assessment studies typically only report on total Hg (THg) concentrations because it is cheaper to quantify. Furthermore, hair is commonly analysed for THg in polar bear as well as human risk assessment studies because it is relatively non-invasive to collect, yet we know little of how THg and MeHg concentrations differ between hair and muscle tissues. In this study, we quantified THg and MeHg concentrations in hair and muscle from 44 polar bears (24 sub-adults: 9 females, 15 males; 18 adults: 5 females, 13 males, and 2 males of unknown age group), harvested in 2015 and 2016 from four subpopulations in Nunavut, Canada (Davis Strait, n = 3; Gulf of Boothia, n = 8; Baffin Bay, n = 15; Foxe Basin, n = 18). We found only moderately positive correlations (0.4 ≤ r ≤ 0.5) between THg concentrations in hair and THg and MeHg concentrations in muscle. Further, 75% and 88% of THg was MeHg in hair and muscle, respectively. High concentrations of THg in hair - 71% of the samples were above the suggested neurochemical no observed effect level for polar bears - suggest some of the bears may be adversely affected by Hg-related health effects. Despite this, all MeHg concentrations in muscle (0.1 to 0.4 mg/kg (wet weight, ww)) were below the consumption maximum Hg concentration of 0.5 mg/kg (ww) set by Canadian health authorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thea Bechshoft
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Markus Dyck
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Igloolik, Nunavut X0A 0H0, Canada.
| | - Kyra A St Pierre
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Andrew E Derocher
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Vincent St Louis
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
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24
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Watson SE, Hauffe HC, Bull MJ, Atwood TC, McKinney MA, Pindo M, Perkins SE. Global change-driven use of onshore habitat impacts polar bear faecal microbiota. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:2916-2926. [PMID: 31378786 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0480-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiota plays a critical role in host health, yet remains poorly studied in wild species. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus), key indicators of Arctic ecosystem health and environmental change, are currently affected by rapid shifts in habitat that may alter gut homeostasis. Declining sea ice has led to a divide in the southern Beaufort Sea polar bear subpopulation such that an increasing proportion of individuals now inhabit onshore coastal regions during the open-water period ('onshore bears') while others continue to exhibit their typical behaviour of remaining on the ice ('offshore bears'). We propose that bears that have altered their habitat selection in response to climate change will exhibit a distinct gut microbiota diversity and composition, which may ultimately have important consequences for their health. Here, we perform the first assessment of abundance and diversity in the faecal microbiota of wild polar bears using 16S rRNA Illumina technology. We find that bacterial diversity is significantly higher in onshore bears compared to offshore bears. The most enriched OTU abundance in onshore bears belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, while the most depleted OTU abundance within onshore bears was seen in the phylum Firmicutes. We conclude that climate-driven changes in polar bear land use are associated with distinct microbial communities. In doing so, we present the first case of global change mediated alterations in the gut microbiota of a free-roaming wild animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie E Watson
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK. .,Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige, TN, Italy.
| | - Heidi C Hauffe
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Matthew J Bull
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK.,Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Todd C Atwood
- United States Geological Survey (USGS), University Drive, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Massimo Pindo
- Department of Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, S. Michele all' Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Sarah E Perkins
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK.,Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all' Adige, TN, Italy
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25
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Wang F, Outridge PM, Feng X, Meng B, Heimbürger-Boavida LE, Mason RP. How closely do mercury trends in fish and other aquatic wildlife track those in the atmosphere? - Implications for evaluating the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 674:58-70. [PMID: 31003088 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The Minamata Convention to reduce anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions entered into force in 2017, and attention is now focused on how to best monitor its effectiveness at reducing Hg exposure to humans. A key question is how closely Hg concentrations in the human food chain, especially in fish and other aquatic wildlife, will track the changes in atmospheric Hg that are expected to occur following anthropogenic emission reductions. We investigated this question by evaluating several regional groups of case studies where Hg concentrations in aquatic biota have been monitored continuously or intermittently for several decades. Our analysis shows that in most cases Hg time trends in biota did not agree with concurrent Hg trends in atmospheric deposition or concentrations, and the divergence between the two trends has become more apparent over the past two decades. An over-arching general explanation for these results is that the impact of changing atmospheric inputs on biotic Hg is masked by two factors: 1) The aquatic environment contains a large inventory of legacy emitted Hg that remains available for bio-uptake leading to a substantial lag in biotic response time to a change in external inputs; and 2) Biotic Hg trends reflect the dominant effects of changes in multi-causal, local and regional processes (e.g., aquatic or terrestrial biogeochemical processes, feeding ecology, climate) that control the speciation, bioavailability, and bio-uptake of both present-day and legacy emitted Hg. Globally, climate change has become the most prevalent contributor to the divergence. A wide range of biotic Hg outcomes can thus be expected as anthropogenic atmospheric Hg emissions decline, depending on how these processes operate on specific regions and specific organisms. Therefore, evaluating the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention will require biomonitoring of multiple species that represent different trophic and ecological niches in multiple regions of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiyue Wang
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, and Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Peter M Outridge
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, and Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 601 Booth St., Ottawa, ON K1A 0E8, Canada
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 46 Guanshui Road, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Bo Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 46 Guanshui Road, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Robert P Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
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Hallanger IG, Fuglei E, Yoccoz NG, Pedersen ÅØ, König M, Routti H. Temporal trend of mercury in relation to feeding habits and food availability in arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) from Svalbard, Norway. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 670:1125-1132. [PMID: 31018428 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the temporal trend of mercury (Hg) in arctic foxes from Svalbard, Norway sampled in the period 1997-2014 (n = 109, from 11 trapping seasons). We used linear models to investigate the effect of trapping season, feeding habits (δ13C), food availability from marine and terrestrial ecosystems (reindeer carcasses and sea ice cover), sex, age and body condition on liver total Hg (THg) levels. Liver THg levels increased in arctic foxes with 7.2% (95% CI: 2.3, 9.6) per year when the concentrations were adjusted for variation of δ13C, sea ice cover, and reindeer carcasses, whereas the raw annual trend was 3.5% (CI: -0.11, 7.2). However, the THg levels in arctic foxes from Svalbard are still lower than other marine mammals. We also demonstrate that arctic fox terrestrial food consumption is important for lowering the overall THg levels in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingeborg G Hallanger
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606, Langnes, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway; UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Dept. of Arctic & Marine Biology, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Eva Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606, Langnes, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Nigel G Yoccoz
- UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Dept. of Arctic & Marine Biology, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Åshild Ø Pedersen
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606, Langnes, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Max König
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606, Langnes, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606, Langnes, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
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27
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Routti H, Atwood TC, Bechshoft T, Boltunov A, Ciesielski TM, Desforges JP, Dietz R, Gabrielsen GW, Jenssen BM, Letcher RJ, McKinney MA, Morris AD, Rigét FF, Sonne C, Styrishave B, Tartu S. State of knowledge on current exposure, fate and potential health effects of contaminants in polar bears from the circumpolar Arctic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 664:1063-1083. [PMID: 30901781 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is among the Arctic species exposed to the highest concentrations of long-range transported bioaccumulative contaminants, such as halogenated organic compounds and mercury. Contaminant exposure is considered to be one of the largest threats to polar bears after the loss of their Arctic sea ice habitat due to climate change. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of current exposure, fate, and potential health effects of contaminants in polar bears from the circumpolar Arctic required by the Circumpolar Action Plan for polar bear conservation. Overall results suggest that legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordanes and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), followed by other perfluoroalkyl compounds (e.g. carboxylic acids, PFCAs) and brominated flame retardants, are still the main compounds in polar bears. Concentrations of several legacy POPs that have been banned for decades in most parts of the world have generally declined in polar bears. Current spatial trends of contaminants vary widely between compounds and recent studies suggest increased concentrations of both POPs and PFCAs in certain subpopulations. Correlative field studies, supported by in vitro studies, suggest that contaminant exposure disrupts circulating levels of thyroid hormones and lipid metabolism, and alters neurochemistry in polar bears. Additionally, field and in vitro studies and risk assessments indicate the potential for adverse impacts to polar bear immune functions from exposure to certain contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Todd C Atwood
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Thea Bechshoft
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Andrei Boltunov
- Marine Mammal Research and Expedition Center, 36 Nahimovskiy pr., Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Tomasz M Ciesielski
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Bjørn M Jenssen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway; Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard, PO Box 156, NO-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Heath Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste.-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Adam D Morris
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Heath Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Frank F Rigét
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Bjarne Styrishave
- Toxicology and Drug Metabolism Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen OE, Denmark
| | - Sabrina Tartu
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
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Fry TL, Friedrichs KR, Atwood TC, Duncan C, Simac K, Goldberg T. Reference intervals for blood-based biochemical analytes of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz040. [PMID: 31548889 PMCID: PMC6748785 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Accurate reference intervals (RIs) for commonly measured blood-based analytes are essential for health monitoring programmes. Baseline values for a panel of analytes can be used to monitor physiologic and pathophysiologic processes such as organ function, electrolyte balance and protein catabolism. Our reference population includes 651 serum samples from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation sampled in Alaska, USA, between 1983 and 2016. To establish RI for 13 biochemical analytes, we defined specific criteria for characterizing the reference population and relevant subgroups. To account for differences in seasonal life history characteristics, we determined separate RI for the spring and fall seasons, when prey availability and energetic requirements of bears differ. We established RI for five subgroups in spring based on sex, age class and denning status, and three subgroups in fall based on sex and age class in females only. Alkaline phosphatase activities were twice as high in subadult as in adult polar bears in spring (z males = 4.08, P males < 0.001, z females = 3.90, P females < 0.001) and did not differ between seasons. Denning females had significantly higher glucose concentrations than non-denning females (z = 4.94, P < 0.001), possibly reflecting differences in energy expenditure during lactation. A total of 10 of the 13 analytes differed significantly between seasons in either males or females; however, the physiologic importance of these differences may be minimal. Establishing these RIs allows for temporal monitoring of polar bear health in the SB and may prove useful for assessing and monitoring additional polar bear subpopulations in a changing Arctic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tricia L Fry
- Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
- Corresponding author: Hanson Laboratories, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. Tel: 608-448-5181.
| | - Kristen R Friedrichs
- Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
| | - Todd C Atwood
- Alaska Science Center, US Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Colleen Duncan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kristin Simac
- Alaska Science Center, US Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Tony Goldberg
- Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
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Chapman PM. Negatives and Positives: Contaminants and Other Stressors in Aquatic Ecosystems. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2018; 100:3-7. [PMID: 29256056 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-017-2229-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Published research is reviewed to provide examples of both positive and negative interactions of contaminants and: climate change; habitat change; invasive and introduced species; and, eutrophication including harmful algal blooms. None of these stressor interactions results solely in negative effects. Research must shift from examining contaminants or other stressors in isolation to considering potential positive and negative effects of interactions, with the ultimate goal of providing the necessary information for the effective management of ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Chapman
- Chapema Environmental Strategies Ltd, 1324 West 22nd Street, North Vancouver, BC, V7P 2G4, Canada
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Environmental and behavioral changes may influence the exposure of an Arctic apex predator to pathogens and contaminants. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13193. [PMID: 29038498 PMCID: PMC5643432 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13496-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent decline of sea ice habitat has coincided with increased use of land by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB), which may alter the risks of exposure to pathogens and contaminants. We assayed blood samples from SB polar bears to assess prior exposure to the pathogens Brucella spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, and Neospora caninum, estimate concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and evaluate risk factors associated with exposure to pathogens and POPs. We found that seroprevalence of Brucella spp. and T. gondii antibodies likely increased through time, and provide the first evidence of exposure of polar bears to C. burnetii, N. caninum, and F. tularensis. Additionally, the odds of exposure to T. gondii were greater for bears that used land than for bears that remained on the sea ice during summer and fall, while mean concentrations of the POP chlordane (ΣCHL) were lower for land-based bears. Changes in polar bear behavior brought about by climate-induced modifications to the Arctic marine ecosystem may increase exposure risk to certain pathogens and alter contaminant exposure pathways.
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