Increasing cadmium and zinc levels in wild common eiders breeding along Canada's remote northern coastline.
The common eider (Somateria mollissima) is an abundant sea duck breeding around the circumpolar Arctic, and is an important component of subsistence and sport harvest in some regions. We determined hepatic cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in the livers of breeding females sampled during three time periods including 1992/3, 2001/2 and 2008 at three sites spanning 53.7°N-75.8°N in the eastern Canadian Arctic. At all sites, concentrations of both Cd and Zn increased ~300% over this time period. The reasons for this rapid increase in concentrations are unclear.
Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada. Electronic address: mark.mallory@acadiau.ca.
Mark L
ML
Mallory
Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada.
Birgit M
BM
Braune
Environment Canada, Wildlife Research Division, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador A1N 4T3, Canada.
Gregory J
GJ
Robertson
Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada.
H Grant
HG
Gilchrist
Chemistry Department, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
Conor D
CD
Mallory
Biology Department, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
Mark R
MR
Forbes
Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, 512 Lahr Boulevard, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador A0P 1C0, Canada.
Regina
R
Wells
D000818:Animals; D001110:Arctic Regions; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002170:Canada; D004372:Ducks; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D015032:Zinc
Cadmium; Common eider; Somateria mollissima; Zinc