Increasing cadmium and zinc levels in wild common eiders breeding along Canada's remote northern coastline

Mark L Mallory; Birgit M Braune; Gregory J Robertson; H Grant Gilchrist; Conor D Mallory; Mark R Forbes; Regina Wells

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.102

Increasing cadmium and zinc levels in wild common eiders breeding along Canada's remote northern coastline

Sci Total Environ. 2014 Apr 1:476-477:73-8. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.102. Epub 2014 Jan 21.

Authors

Mark L Mallory¹, Birgit M Braune², Gregory J Robertson³, H Grant Gilchrist², Conor D Mallory⁴, Mark R Forbes⁵, Regina Wells⁶

Affiliations

¹ Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada. Electronic address: mark.mallory@acadiau.ca.
² Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada.
³ Environment Canada, Wildlife Research Division, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador A1N 4T3, Canada.
⁴ Chemistry Department, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
⁵ Biology Department, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
⁶ Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, 512 Lahr Boulevard, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador A0P 1C0, Canada.

PMID: 24463027
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.102

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Cadmium; Common eider; Somateria mollissima; Zinc.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Arctic Regions
Cadmium / metabolism*
Canada
Ducks
Environmental Monitoring*
Female
Liver / metabolism
Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism*
Zinc / metabolism*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Cadmium
Zinc