title: Uptake of selenium and mercury by captive mink: Results of a controlled feeding experiment.
abstract: Captive, juvenile, ranch-bred, male mink (Neovison vison) were fed diets containing various concentrations of methyl-mercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) for a period of 13 weeks and then sacrificed to determine total Hg levels in fur, blood, brain, liver and kidneys and total Se concentrations in brain tissue. As MeHg concentrations in the diet increased, concentrations of total Hg in the tissues also increased with the highest level occurring in the fur > liver = kidney > brain > blood. Concentrations of Hg in the fur were correlated (r(2) > 0.97) with liver, kidney, blood and brain concentrations. The addition of Se to the mink diet did not appear to affect most tissue concentrations of total Hg nor did it affect the partitioning of Hg between the liver:blood, kidney:blood and brain:blood; however, partitioning of Hg between fur and blood was apparently affected.
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Resource Science, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada; Water Quality Centre, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada. Electronic address: devans@trentu.ca.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Resource Science, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Grochowina
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, MacDonald Stewart Building, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd., St Anne de Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada. Electronic address: niladri.basu@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Resource Science, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada. Electronic address: e.oconnor@lsrca.on.ca.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Resource Science, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Hickie
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, PO Box 55, Truro, NS, B2N 5E3, Canada. Electronic address: Kirsti.Rouvinen-Watt@Dal.ca.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rouvinen-Watt
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Resource Science, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada; Water Quality Centre, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Community Health Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada. Electronic address: laurie.chan@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D004032:Diet; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D008907:Mink / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium
keywords: Feeding experiment; Mercury; Mink; Selenium; Uptake