MacEachen, D.C., R.W. Russell, and D.M. Whittle, 2000.  Spatial Distribution of Mercury and Organochlorine Contaminants in Great Lakes Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Reprinted from Journal of Great Lakes Research (2000) 26(1):112-119

Spatial Distribution of Mercury and Organochlorine Contaminants in Great Lakes Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Abstract
Adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) were collected during their spawning migration in streams entering each of the Great Lakes, except Lake Michigan. Skinless muscle tissue samples were analyzed for a range of organochlorine contaminants including p,p'-DDE, total PCB, toxaphene, and mercury. Concentration of p,p'-DDE, and PCB's were above detection limit of 0.002 µg/g in a all samples. levels of total toxaphene in some individuals from Lake Superior were above recent Health Canada consumption advisory limits of 0.2 µg/g for fish. PCB's and SDDt concentrations in some lamprey tissue samples from the Lake Ontario basin exceeded limits for unrestricted human consumption. mercury concentrations were highest in lamprey from the Lake Superior basin. Mercury levels were above the 0.5 µg/g Canada Health Protection Guideline for consumption on 75% of all lamprey muscle tissue samples used.

Entire Paper
Contact: D. Cameron MacEachen, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, CANADA
Key Words: Sea_lamprey, Basic_biology, Bio-accumulation
Product Type: Research, Basic_biology
User Type: General