Anadromous char as an alternate food choice to marine animals: A synthesis of Hg concentrations, population features and other influencing factors

Evans, Marlene S.; Muir, Derek C. G.; Keating, Jonathan; Wang, Xiaowa

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.10.074

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…Mean THg concentrations for both lake whitefish and cisco at 0.09 µg•g −1 ww (Table 2) were consistent with previous reports of 0.11 µg•g −1 ww for Coregonus species across northern Canada [30]. Mean THg levels for both Salvelinus species were also in accordance with that large dataset, as well as more regionally with Arctic char at 0.07 vs. 0.04 µg•g −1 ww, and anadromous lake trout at 0.35 vs. 0.12-0.21 µg•g −1 ww, as reported here and from Nunavut's west Kitikmeot, respectively [32,47,48]. Nets, hand lines, and spears employed by Inuit community members for sampling fish (Table 1) explain why very small, young fish were not sampled, but since the community interest was in a potential dietary exposure to Hg, the methods used were deemed appropriate.…”

Section: Comparison Of Thg Concentrations In Relation To Life History Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 86%

Correlation of Mercury Occurrence with Age, Elemental Composition, and Life History in Sea-Run Food Fish from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago’s Lower Northwest Passage

Koch

Das

McPhedran

et al. 2021

Foods

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As mercury emissions continue and climate-mediated permafrost thaw increases the burden of this contaminant in northern waters, Inuit from a Northwest passage community in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago pressed for an assessment of their subsistence catches. Sea-run salmonids (n = 537) comprising Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), lake trout (S. namaycush), lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), and cisco (C. autumnalis, C. sardinella) were analyzed for muscle mercury. Methylmercury is a neurotoxin and bioaccumulated with fish age, but other factors including selenium and other elements, diet and trophic level as assessed by stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C), as well as growth rate, condition, and geographic origin, also contributed depending on the species, even though all the fish shared a similar anadromous or sea-run life history. Although mean mercury concentrations for most of the species were ~0.09 µg·g−1 wet weight (ww), below the levels described in several jurisdictions for subsistence fisheries (0.2 µg·g−1 ww), 70% of lake trout were above this guideline (0.35 µg·g−1 ww), and 19% exceeded the 2.5-fold higher levels for commercial sale. We thus urge the development of consumption advisories for lake trout for the protection of pregnant women and young children and that additionally, periodic community-based monitoring be initiated.

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Section: Comparison Of Thg Concentrations In Relation To Life History Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 86%

Correlation of Mercury Occurrence with Age, Elemental Composition, and Life History in Sea-Run Food Fish from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago’s Lower Northwest Passage

Koch

Das

McPhedran

et al. 2021

Foods

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“…In L. Kilpis, both muscle and liver THg values were inversely related with tissue specific δ 13 C values, which likely reflects increased autumnal consumption of 13 C depleted pelagic ZPL containing more THg than littoral BMI (Kahilainen et al, 2016a;Thomas et al, 2016;Kahilainen et al, 2017). Liver and muscle THg values were negatively related with condition factor, which can be used as supporting evidence for starvation and growth dilution (Cizdziel et al, 2002(Cizdziel et al, , 2003Evans et al 2015). Condition factor does reflect spawning when gonads with low THg concentration are removed from the fish body, potentially further condensing Hg in whitefish muscle (Madenjian et al, 2016).…”

Section: Factors Explaining Variation In Mercury Concentration In Whimentioning

confidence: 89%

Total mercury concentrations in liver and muscle of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus (L.)) in a subarctic lake - Assessing the factors driving year-round variation

Keva

Hayden

Harrod

et al. 2017

Environmental Pollution

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Subarctic lakes are characterised by extreme seasonal variation in light and temperature which influences growth, maturation, condition and resource use of fishes. However, our understanding of how seasonal changes affect mercury concentrations of fishes is limited. We conducted a year-round study (3 ice-covered months, 3 open-water months) with open-water inter-annual aspect (3 years: samples from August/September), focusing on total mercury (THg) concentrations and ecological characteristics of a common freshwater fish, European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus (L.)) from a subarctic lake. We measured THg concentrations from tissues with fast (liver, n = 164) and moderate (muscle, n = 225) turnover rates, providing information on THg dynamics over different temporal scales. In both tissues, lipid-corrected THg concentrations were highest in winter (liver: 1.70 ± 0.88 μg/g, muscle: 0.24 ± 0.05 μg/g) and lowest in summer (liver: 0.87 ± 0.72 μg/g, muscle: 0.19 ± 0.04 μg/g). THg concentrations increased in winter following the summer-autumn dietary shift to pelagic zooplankton and starvation after spawning. Whitefish THg concentrations decreased towards summer, and were associated with consumption of benthic macroinvertebrates and subsequent growth dilution. Mercury bioaccumulated in both tissues with age, both showing the strongest regression slopes in winter and lowest in summer. THg concentrations in liver and muscle tissue were correlated throughout the year, however the correlation was lowest in summer, indicating high metabolism during somatic growing season in summer and growth dilution. Multiple linear regression models explained 50% and 55% of the THg variation in liver and muscle both models dominated by seasonally-variable factors i.e. sexual maturity, δC, and condition factor. Seasonally varying bioaccumulation slopes and the higher level of intra-annual variation (21%) in whitefish THg concentration in muscle than the inter-annual accumulation (8%) highlight the importance of including seasonal factors in future THg studies.

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“…A retrospective questionnaire that provides insight on historical consumption of traditional foods across many years would be informative. This study would also benefit from knowledge on regional differences in the age, size, lifespan, or sex of wildlife that are consumed by northern peoples because these variables can impact wildlife body burdens (Johnston et al, 2002;Evans et al, 2015). More detailed analysis of the composition of traditional diets, including site specific concentrations of POPs and metals, is needed to better characterize risk of exposure for specific aboriginal groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing determinants of maternal blood concentrations for persistent organic pollutants and metals in the eastern and western Canadian Arctic

Curren

Liang

Davis

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

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Aboriginal peoples in the Canadian Arctic are exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals mainly through their consumption of a traditional diet of wildlife items. Recent studies indicate that many human chemical levels have decreased in the north, likely due to a combination of reduced global chemical emissions, dietary shifts, and risk mitigation efforts by local health authorities. Body burdens for chemicals in mothers can be further offset by breastfeeding, parity, and other maternal characteristics. We have assessed the impact of several dietary and maternal covariates following a decade of awareness of the contaminant issue in northern Canada, by performing multiple stepwise linear regression analyses from blood concentrations and demographic variables for 176 mothers recruited from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories during the period 2005-2007. A significant aboriginal group effect was observed for the modeled chemicals, except for lead and cadmium, after adjusting for covariates. Further, blood concentrations for POPs and metals were significantly associated with at least one covariate of older age, fewer months spent breastfeeding, more frequent eating of traditional foods, or smoking during pregnancy. Cadmium had the highest explained variance (72.5%) from just two significant covariates (current smoking status and parity). Although Inuit participants from the Northwest Territories consumed more traditional foods in general, Inuit participants from coastal communities in Nunavut continued to demonstrate higher adjusted blood concentrations for POPs and metals examined here. While this is due in part to a higher prevalence of marine mammals in the eastern Arctic diet, it is possible that other aboriginal group effects unrelated to diet may also contribute to elevated chemical body burdens in Canadian Arctic populations.

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Anadromous char as an alternate food choice to marine animals: A synthesis of Hg concentrations, population features and other influencing factors

Cited by 21 publications

References 96 publications

Correlation of Mercury Occurrence with Age, Elemental Composition, and Life History in Sea-Run Food Fish from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago’s Lower Northwest Passage

Correlation of Mercury Occurrence with Age, Elemental Composition, and Life History in Sea-Run Food Fish from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago’s Lower Northwest Passage

Total mercury concentrations in liver and muscle of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus (L.)) in a subarctic lake - Assessing the factors driving year-round variation

Assessing determinants of maternal blood concentrations for persistent organic pollutants and metals in the eastern and western Canadian Arctic

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