Comparison of Heavy Metals in Two Groups of Ringed Seals (Phoca hispida) from the Canadian Arctic

Abstract

Heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, Cu, and Zn) and Se and As were determined in liver, kidney, and muscle of ringed seals captured near a lead–zinc mine in the Strathcona Sound area, and in a reference group from Admiralty Inlet in the Canadian Arctic. The mean concentrations of Pb in liver and muscle and Se in muscle were higher in seals shot near the mine area than in a reference group shot 50–75 km from this area, notwithstanding large variances in metal concentrations arising from inter-metal and Hg–age and Cd–age positive correlations. Strong positive correlations were found between age of animals in the reference group and Cd in kidney and Hg in liver between Se and Hg in liver, and a negative one between age and Cu in the three tissues examined. Nearly halt of the individuals in the mine-area group were shown, by multiple linear regression, to have higher Hg, Pb, or Cd than the reference group. High Cd concentrations were found in tissues of seals from both groups.