Rush, Scott A; Borgå, Katrine; Dietz, Rune; Born, Erik W; Sonne, Christian; Evans, Thomas J; Muir, Derek C G; Letcher, Robert J; Norstrom, Ross J; Fisk, Aaron T (2008): Major and minor element concentrations in the livers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Greenland, Canada and Alaska [dataset publication series]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.819535, Supplement to: Rush, SA et al. (2008): Geographic distribution of selected elements in the livers of polar bears from Greenland, Canada and the United States. Environmental Pollution, 153(3), 618-626, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2007.09.006
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Abstract:
To assess geographic distributions of elements in the Arctic we compared essential and non-essential elements in the livers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) collected from five regions within Canada in 2002, in Alaska between 1994 and 1999 and from the northwest and east coasts of Greenland between 1988 and 2000. As, Hg, Pb and Se varied with age, and Co and Zn with gender, which limited spatial comparisons across all populations to Cd, which was highest in Greenland bears. Collectively, geographic relationships appeared similar to past studies with little change in concentration over time in Canada and Greenland for most elements; Hg and Se were higher in some Canadian populations in 2002 as compared to 1982 and 1984. Concentrations of most elements in the polar bears did not exceed toxicity thresholds, although Cd and Hg exceeded levels correlated with the formation of hepatic lesions in laboratory animals.
Project(s):
Coverage:
Median Latitude: 68.240875 * Median Longitude: -85.480130 * South-bound Latitude: 56.930000 * West-bound Longitude: -168.000000 * North-bound Latitude: 78.760000 * East-bound Longitude: -22.572800
Comment:
Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
2 datasets
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Datasets listed in this publication series
- Rush, SA; Borgå, K; Dietz, R et al. (2008): (Table 1) Major and minor element concentrations in the livers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Canada, Alaska and Greenland. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.819533
- Rush, SA; Borgå, K; Dietz, R et al. (2008): (Table 2) Selenium and mercury concentrations in the livers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Canada, Alaska and Greenland between 1980 and 2002. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.819534