Marine Organisms as Indicators of Heavy Metal Pollution-Experience from 16 Years of Monitoring at a Lead Zinc Mine in Greenland

Johansen, Poul; Hansen, Martin Munk; Asmund, Gert; Nielsen, Palle Bo

doi:10.1080/02757549108035243

Cited by 40 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mining-related contamination has been found in marine mammal tissues. Lead and zinc mines in Arctic regions have contaminated local marine environments in both West Greenland [22,23] and Baffin Island, Canada [24]. In both cases, elevated levels of elements were found in marine sediments and invertebrates near port sites or near tailings dumps, relative to pre-mining conditions and/or reference sites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace Element Concentrations in Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus) Near Red Dog Mine Compared to Other Locations in Alaska

Quakenbush

Citta

2009

Journal of Marine Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To determine if bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) harvested near a zinc and lead mine (Red Dog, Alaska , USA) by subsistence hunters from Kivalina, Alaska, were as safe to eat as bearded seals from other locations in Alaska, we compared 19 trace element concentrations in liver tissue. Liver concentrations from nine bearded seals harvested near the Red Dog Mine (RDM) port site were compared with 15 bearded seals from two reference sites (Hooper Bay and Little Diomede, Alaska, USA). Concentrations did not differ by gender, but we found statistically significant trends in concentrations of cadmium, mercury, manganese, selenium, and vanadium with age. Arsenic and copper were the only elements found to be more concentrated in the liver of bearded seals harvested near RDM than in the other locations. The predominant form of arsenic in marine mammals is known to be a nontoxic organic form, not the toxic inorganic form, and copper is an essential element. Although elevated near RDM, neither element was found at concentrations that presented health risks. We found no evidence that bearded seals harvested near RDM were less safe to eat or that trace element concentrations were greater than those found in bearded seals harvested elsewhere in Alaska or Canada.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace Element Concentrations in Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus) Near Red Dog Mine Compared to Other Locations in Alaska

Quakenbush

Citta

2009

Journal of Marine Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…concentrations were extracted using Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) and Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) (Johansen et al 1991).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cadmium, mercury, zinc and selenium in ringed seals (<i>Phoca hispida</i>) from Greenland and Svalbard

Dietz

Paludan-Müller²,

Agger

et al. 1998

NAMMCOSP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Muscle, liver, and kidney tissue from 456 ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from eight areas in Greenland were analysed for cadmium, mercury, zinc and selenium. In general, cadmium concentrations were high in liver and kidney tissue, with geometric means of 7.79 and 33.5 μg/g (all data on wet weight basis), respectively. Muscle levels were considerably lower, at 0.067 μg/g. The concentration of mercury was relatively high in liver tissue with a geometric mean of 2.59 μg/g. Muscle and kidney mercury levels were somewhat lower, with geometric means of 0.210 and 0.956 μg/g, respectively.Cadmium and mercury levels were strongly dependent upon age and sampling area, as well as the interaction combinations, indicating that the accumulation of cadmium and mercury varies with age and area. Mercury accumulated in all three tissues throughout life, whereas cadmium in liver and kidneys peaked in the age group 5-10 years old where after it dropped significantly.Cadmium levels showed a tendency towards higher concentrations in the northern municipalities, which may be due to the higher cadmium levels in certain prey items in the northern areas. Mercury levels were higher in seals from East Greenland compared to West Greenland. Variations in feeding habits probably explain some of the differences in levels of cadmium and mercury in ringed seals from different geographical areas.Cadmium concentrations were correlated (both pairwise and partial) in the three organs. This was true for mercury as well, whereas only half of the combinations were significant for zinc and selenium. Cadmium was strongly correlated to mercury in all three tissues and zinc only in liver and kidneys. Mercury was only correlated to selenium in liver and not to zinc.High concentrations of cadmium were found in the bile from 58 ringed seals, and were about 10-fold higher than in muscle. The concentration of mercury in bile was relatively low, being only one third of the muscle level. The bile levels reflect that substantial amounts of especially cadmium are circulated through the bile. However, it is uncertain whether these amounts are actually excreted or reabsorbed in the intestine (enterohepatic circulation).

show abstract

“…A summary of the use of marine organisms as indicators of heavy metal pollution at Black Angel mine over 16 years was presented by Johansen et al (1991). Seaweed, mussels, prawn, and liver and bone from both sculpins and wolffish were shown to be good indicators for lead contaminants in the seawater.…”

Section: Mine Closure and On-going Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Importance of geochemistry: The black angel lead‐zinc mine, Greenland

Poling

Ellis

1995

Marine Georesources & Geotechnology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Black Angel lead-zinc mine operated from 1973 to 1990 using seawater in the froth flotation mill process and submarine tailings disposal to the Affarlikassa ("A") fjord. Within 1 year from startup, elevated lead and zinc levels were found in Qaumarujuk ("Q") fjord outside the receiving "A" fjord. Elevations in cadmium abo were found at a later date. Extended geochemical and oceanographic studies established that the ore and the tailings contained significant oxidized lead and zinc minerals soluble in the ambient pH seawater and confirmed that seasonal under-ice destratification of the water column allowed dispersal over the sill between the "A " and "Q" fjords. A shoreline waste rock dump also contributed to the contamination. Detailed mineralogie, leaching, and oceanographic studies, which are now conventional at proposed new mines, would have produced more detailed information on which to base the decision whether submarine tailings disposal (STD) was appropriate at this particular site.

show abstract

Marine Organisms as Indicators of Heavy Metal Pollution-Experience from 16 Years of Monitoring at a Lead Zinc Mine in Greenland

Cited by 40 publications

References 1 publication

Trace Element Concentrations in Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus) Near Red Dog Mine Compared to Other Locations in Alaska

Trace Element Concentrations in Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus) Near Red Dog Mine Compared to Other Locations in Alaska

Cadmium, mercury, zinc and selenium in ringed seals (<i>Phoca hispida</i>) from Greenland and Svalbard

Importance of geochemistry: The black angel lead‐zinc mine, Greenland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About