Organochlorine and Mercury Residues in Wild Mink and Otter: Comparison With Fish

Organochlorine Residue Levels and Bioconcentration Factors in Otters ( Lutra lutra L.) from Northeast Spain

“…Although data from small sample sizes are less representative of actual residue concentrations in fish and otter, our BCFs agree, within an order of magnitude, with previous results obtained with American river otter (Foley et al 1988) and supply additional data on the scope of this value in the wild.…”

“…In spite of the fact that only three locations were compared, the contaminant levels indicate a relationship between the accumulation of PCB in the otter and the levels of these compounds in fish (r=0.99; p=0.021). This relationship was found to be highly correlated in American river otter (Lutra canadensis) and mink (Mustela vison), with fish from the same place (Foley et al 1988); with a great number of paired samples of mustelids and their main prey. Bioconcentration in Eurasian otter was also demonstrated in a recent study by Smit and de Jongh (1991) in Holland, who measured levels in otters and eels (Anguilla anguilla).…”

“…Studies combining both otter and fish tissue samples from the same location, however, are rare (Foley et al 1988;Smit and de Jongh 1991) due primarily to the difficulty of obtaining samples of this mustelid. Bioconcentration factors of these pollutants have not, therefore, usually been calculated for this species in the wild.…”

A mortality survey of free range nutria (Myocastor coypus)

“…This topic is poorly documented in coypus (Jeantet et al 1991), and the lack of knowledge of effects of heavy metals or pesticides in this species, allows very limited speculation. Nevertheless, pesticides should be regarded as serious adverse environmental factor for nutria (Foley et al 1988;Jeantet et al 1991). ID were not common entities in this survey; meanwhile, pneumonia and yersiniosis were the most prevalent among them (Howerth et al 1994;Martino and Stanchi 1994;Bollo et al 2003).…”

“…Suspected cases of being rabid (n=2) were tested by both the rabies tissue culture infection test and the mouse inoculation test with oral sample swabs. For toxicological studies on suspected cases, polychlorinated byphenils (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (i.e., DDT, DDE, dieldrin, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, heptachlor), organophosphate pesticides (n=68), and rodenticide compounds (i.e., bromadiolone, warfarine) (n=11) were investigated mostly in liver, adipose tissue, and gastric content by gas chromatography/electron capture detection and mass spectrometry (Buck 1974;Foley et al 1988). In addition, the presence of mercury and lead (n=59) was assessed by chemical analysis of the liver, gastric content, and kidney (Frank et al 1979).…”