Total mercury concentrations in Steller sea lion bone: Variability among locations and elements. uri icon

abstract

  • Mercury is a global contaminant that bioaccumulates in a tissue-specific manner in long-lived predators such as Steller sea lions (SSL). Bone is a well-preserved material amenable for studying millennial scale trends; however, little is known about the distribution and variability of total mercury concentrations ([THg]) within individual bones and among bone elements in SSL. We assessed SSL bone [THg] variability with respect to physiologic age, bone type, longitudinally within a bone, and among bone elements. Pup bones (meanSD; 31.413.58ppb) had greater [THg] than adults (7.91.91ppb). There were greater and more variable [THg] within individual long bones near epiphyses compared to mid-diaphysis. Pup spongy bone in ribs (62.744.79ppb) had greater [THg] than long bones (23.58.83ppb) and phalanges (19.610.78ppb). These differences are likely due to variability in bone composition, growth, and turnover rate. This study informs standardized sampling procedures for [THg] in bone to improve interpretations of mercury variability over time and space.

published proceedings

  • Mar Pollut Bull

author list (cited authors)

  • Keenan, M., Misarti, N., Horstmann, L., Crawford, S. G., O'Hara, T., Rea, L. D., & Avery, J. P.

complete list of authors

  • Keenan, Mary||Misarti, Nicole||Horstmann, Lara||Crawford, Stephanie G||O'Hara, Todd||Rea, Lorrie D||Avery, Julie P