Heavy metal accumulation in arctic hares ( Lepus arcticus) in Nunavut, Canada

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 368; no. 2; pp. 951 - 955
• Main Authors: Pedersen, Simen, Lierhagen, Syverin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 15.09.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Arctic hare; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Food Contamination; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hares - metabolism; Heavy metals; Kidney - chemistry; Lepus arcticus; Liver - chemistry; Mammalia; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Muscles - chemistry; Nunavut; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Canada; Arctic Region; North America; America; Nunavut; PN, Arctic; Canada, Nunavut; Canada; Nunavut; Arctic hare; Heavy metals; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Lagomorpha; Biological accumulation; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.05.014

Accumulation of cadmium, mercury, lead, copper and zinc was studied in muscle, liver and kidney of 9 adult and 7 juvenile arctic hares ( Lepus arcticus), collected in 2003 in the southwestern part of Nunavut, Canada. Our objective was to determine the level of heavy metal accumulation, and distribution among age groups and tissue. Concentrations of all metals varied among tissues, and concentrations of Cd, Hg and Zn were higher in adults compared to juveniles. We found correlations in metal content among tissues, and among metals in kidneys. We also found the hares to have low concentration of most heavy metals except cadmium. We suggest that the high cadmium levels might be caused by the local geology, and the hares being adapted to these levels. The low levels of the other metals are probably due to low input of atmospheric contaminants. Only one of the individuals had Cd content slightly above the maximum contaminant levels recommended for human consumption of meat. There were no levels in meat above the recommended maximum for the rest of the metals surveyed. However the Cd levels in liver and kidney are orders of magnitude higher than the recommended maximum, and consumption of these organs should be avoided.