The Polar Bear as a Biological Indicator of the Environmental Mercury Burden | Zendy

R.D.P. Eaton | Zendy; Jean-Pierre Farant | Zendy

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The Polar Bear as a Biological Indicator of the Environmental Mercury Burden

Author(s) -

R.D.P. Eaton,

Jean-Pierre Farant

Publication year - 1982

Publication title -

arctic

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503

H-Index - 59

eISSN - 1923-1245

pISSN - 0004-0843

DOI - 10.14430/arctic2345

Subject(s) - mercury (programming language) , arctic , bay , ursus maritimus , the arctic , polar , environmental science , fauna , physical geography , environmental chemistry , oceanography , geography , geology , ecology , chemistry , biology , physics , astronomy , computer science , programming language

fresh (current) and 18 preserved (museum) polar bear hair samples were subjected to mercury analysis. Mercury levels ranging from <0.5-44.3 ppm were observed in the fresh samples with a geographic distribution showing higher levels in the western Arctic and substantially lower levels in the eastern Arctic and in Hudson's Bay. A similar geographic range and distribution was found in the museum specimens. No correlation can be demonstrated between observed levels and industrial releases of mercury. There is no real indication of increase in general levels over time. The source of observed high levels of mercury in arctic marine fauna appears to be geologic rather than industrial.

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