title: Year-to-year correlations in blood metal levels among individuals of two species of North American sea ducks.
abstract: Sea duck populations have declined in North America. Contaminants, especially metals, have been listed as possible contributing factors. Sea ducks are long-lived. Thus, individuals chronically exposed to elevated metal levels may be at greatest risk. Information about long-term exposure (> or =1year) of individuals to metals is absent. To address this information gap, we examined year-to-year correlations among individual White-Winged Scoters and King Eiders in levels of blood cadmium, lead, mercury and selenium. Positive correlations (r> or =0.43), were found in six, five, five and two of seven correlations for cadmium, selenium, lead and mercury. Thus, certain individuals of these species may be exposed over two or more years to higher levels of cadmium, selenium and lead (but apparently not mercury) than other individuals. Single blood samples are appropriate metrics of exposure for studies that examine long-term effects of certain metals on these birds.
authors: Environment Canada, Prairie & Northern Region, 115 Perimeter Rd., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada. mark.wayland@ec.gc.ca
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Wayland
authors: R T
authors: RT
authors: Alisauskas
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Kellett
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Traylor
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Swoboda
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Neugebauer
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Mehl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D004372:Ducks / Q000097:blood*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D005618:Fresh Water; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D009656:North America; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D013045:Species Specificity; D013995:Time
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium