Heavy metals in harbour porpoises from Puck Bay in the Baltic Sea

Four specimens of the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena were caught in nets in Puck bay, Poland. The stomach contents were examined to determine their diet. This consisted of bottom fish, semi-pelagic fish and pelagic fish. The animals were dissected and samples of liver, kidney and muscle were ana...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 1994, Vol.28 (9), p.570-571
Main Authors: Szefer, P, Malinga, M, Skóra, K, Pempkowiak, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Marine
Phocoena phocoena
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Summary:Four specimens of the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena were caught in nets in Puck bay, Poland. The stomach contents were examined to determine their diet. This consisted of bottom fish, semi-pelagic fish and pelagic fish. The animals were dissected and samples of liver, kidney and muscle were analysed for silver, cadmium, copper, manganese, lead, and zinc. Generally, the kidney accumulated the highest levels of cadmium, and the liver showed maximal concentrations of silver, copper and manganese. Concentrations of zinc were similar in the liver and kidney. Inter-specimen differences were observed, principally concerning lead in the kidneys and silver in the livers. The low hepatic and renal concentrations of cadmium in the harbour porpoises from Polish waters were compared with those from U.K., German and Danish waters and with cadmium levels in Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) from the northwestern Pacific.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/0025-326X(94)90077-9