title: Temporal trends of cadmium and mercury in Greenland marine biota.
abstract: Data for cadmium and mercury in Greenland marine biota (blue mussels, polar cod, shorthorn sculpin, glaucous gull and ringed seals) over a period of 20 years has been analysed in order to assess temporal changes. Most of the comparisons were conducted between tissue samples collected in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Cadmium data from a few time series obtained at reference sites during monitoring of mining activities were also included. No overall temporal trends in cadmium or mercury concentrations were found within the 20-year period assessed. However, cadmium concentrations in ringed seals tended to increase in the period from late-1970s to the mid-1980s. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s cadmium concentrations in ringed seals decreased again, whilst mercury concentrations showed a tendency to increase in the same period. The observed changes may reflect natural fluctuations caused by factors such as a shift in feeding behaviour, rather than changes in anthropogenic exposure.
authors.affiliation: National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Arctic Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riget
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D049872:Bivalvia; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes; D006116:Greenland; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D046048:Seals, Earless; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D008628:Mercury