Distribution of trace elements in organs of six species of cetaceans from the Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean), and the relationship with stable carbon and nitrogen ratios |
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Authors: | Capelli R Das K Pellegrini R De Drava G Lepoint G Miglio C Minganti V Poggi R |
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Affiliation: | Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche ed Alimentari - Università degli Studi di Genova - Via Brigata Salerno, 13 I-16147 Genova, Italy. |
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Abstract: | Mercury (total and organic), cadmium, lead, copper, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc concentrations were measured in different organs of 6 different cetacean species stranded in an area of extraordinary ecological interest (Cetaceans' Sanctuary of the Mediterranean Sea) along the coast of the Ligurian Sea (North-West Mediterranean). Stable-isotopes ratios of carbon ((13)C/(12)C) and nitrogen ((15)N/(14)N) were also measured in the muscle. A significant relationship exists between (15)N/(14)N, mercury concentration and the trophic level. The distribution of essential and non-essential trace elements was studied on several organs, and a significant relationship between selenium and mercury, with a molar ratio close to 1, was found in the cetaceans' kidney, liver and spleen, regardless of their species. High selenium concentrations are generally associated with a low organic to total mercury ratio. While narrow ranges of concentrations were observed for essential elements in most organs, mercury and selenium concentrations are characterised by a wide range of variation. Bio-accumulation and bio-amplification processes in cetaceans can be better understood by comparing trace element concentrations with the stable-isotopes data. |
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Keywords: | Cetaceans Mercury Stable isotopes Trace elements Trophic position |
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