[en] There has been a considerable number of reports on Hg concentrations in Arctic mammals since the last Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) effort to review biological effects of the exposure to mercury (Hg) in Arctic biota in 2010 and 2018. Here, we provide an update on the state of the knowledge of health risk associated with Hg concentrations in Arctic marine and terrestrial mammal species. Using available population-specific data post-2000, our ultimate goal is to provide an updated evidence-based estimate of the risk for adverse health effects from Hg exposure in Arctic mammal species at the individual and population level. Tissue residues of Hg in 13 species across the Arctic were classified into five risk categories (from No risk to Severe risk) based on critical tissue concentrations derived from experimental studies on harp seals and minks. Exposure to Hg lead to low or no risk for health effects in most populations of marine and terrestrial mammals, however, subpopulations of polar bears, pilot whales, narwhals, beluga and hooded seals are highly exposed in geographic hotspots raising concern for Hg-induced toxicological effects. About 6% of a total of 3500 individuals, across different marine mammal species, age groups and regions, are at high or severe risk of health effects from Hg exposure. The corresponding figure for the 12 terrestrial species, regions and age groups was as low as 0.3% of a total of 731 individuals analyzed for their Hg loads. Temporal analyses indicated that the proportion of polar bears at low or moderate risk has increased in East/West Greenland and Western Hudson Bay, respectively. However, there remain numerous knowledge gaps to improve risk assessments of Hg exposure in Arctic mammalian species, including the establishment of improved concentration thresholds and upscaling to the assessment of population-level effects.
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology Veterinary medicine & animal health Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Dietz, Rune; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Electronic address: rdi@ecos.au.dk
Letcher, Robert J; Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada. Electronic address: robert.letcher@canada.ca
Aars, Jon; Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
Andersen, Magnus; Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
Boltunov, Andrei; Marine Mammal Research and Expedition Centre, 36 Nahimovskiy pr., Moscow 117997, Russia
Born, Erik W; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland
Ciesielski, Tomasz M; Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Das, Krishna ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS)
Dastnai, Sam; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Derocher, Andrew E; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
Desforges, Jean-Pierre; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark, Department of Environmental Studies and Science, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Eulaers, Igor; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
Ferguson, Steve; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
Hallanger, Ingeborg G; Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads P; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland
Heimbürger-Boavida, Lars-Eric; Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, Toulouse, France, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, Marseille, France
Hoekstra, Paul F; Grain Farmers of Ontario, Canada
Jenssen, Bjørn M; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Kohler, Stephen Gustav; Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Realfagbygget, E2-128, Gløshaugen, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Larsen, Martin M; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Lindstrøm, Ulf; Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway, Department of Arctic Technology, Institute of Marine Research, FRAM Centre, NO-9007 Tromsø, Norway
Lippold, Anna; Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
Nabe-Nielsen, Jacob; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Nielsen, Nynne H; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland
Peacock, Elizabeth; USGS Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508-4626, USA
Pinzone, Marianna ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanographie biologique ; Department of Environmental Studies and Science, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Rigét, Frank F; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland
Routti, Heli; Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
Siebert, Ursula; Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, DE-25761 Büsum, Germany
Stenson, Garry; Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Department DFO-MPO, 80 EastWhite Hills vie, St John's A1C 5X1, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Stern, Gary; Centre for Earth Observation Sciences (CEOS), Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, 586Wallace Bld, 125 Dysart Rd., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T, 2N2, Canada
Strand, Jakob; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Søndergaard, Jens; Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Treu, Gabriele; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
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