title: Assessment of mercury and selenium tissular concentrations and total mercury body burden in 6 Steller sea lion pups from the Aleutian Islands.
abstract: Concentrations of total mercury ([THg]) and selenium ([TSe]) were measured in several tissue compartments in Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) pups; in addition we determined specific compartment and body burdens of THg. Compartmental and body burdens were calculated by multiplying specific compartment fresh weight by the [THg] (summing compartment burdens equals body burden). In all 6 pup tissue sets (1) highest [THg] was in hair, (2) lowest [THg] was in bone, and (3) pelt, muscle and liver burdens contributed the top three highest percentages of THg body burden. In 5 of 6 pups the Se:Hg molar ratios among compartments ranged from 0.9 to 43.0. The pup with the highest hair [THg] had Se:Hg molar ratios in 9 of 14 compartments that were ⩽ 0.7 potentially indicating an inadequate [TSe] relative to [THg].
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755940, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940, USA. Electronic address: ppardus7@aol.com.
authors.forename: Lucero
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.affiliation: Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Institute of Northern Engineering, Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755910, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5910, USA.
authors.forename: Lorrie D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.affiliation: Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bentzen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940, USA.
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: O'Hara
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska; D000818:Animals; D001822:Body Burden; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D046070:Sea Lions / Q000378:metabolism*; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium
keywords: Burden; Mercury; Molar ratio; Selenium; Steller sea lions