Temporal change and the influence of climate and weather factors on mercury concentrations in Hudson Bay polar bears, caribou, and seabird eggs

Adam D Morris; Birgit M Braune; Mary Gamberg; Jason Stow; Jason O'Brien; Robert J Letcher

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112169

Temporal change and the influence of climate and weather factors on mercury concentrations in Hudson Bay polar bears, caribou, and seabird eggs

Environ Res. 2022 May 1:207:112169. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112169. Epub 2021 Oct 6.

Authors

Adam D Morris¹, Birgit M Braune², Mary Gamberg³, Jason Stow⁴, Jason O'Brien⁵, Robert J Letcher⁶

Affiliations

¹ Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada. Electronic address: adam.morris@canada.ca.
² Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada. Electronic address: bbraune@primus.ca.
³ Gamberg Consulting, Box 11267, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2J2, Canada. Electronic address: mary.gamberg@gmail.com.
⁴ Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6, Canada. Electronic address: jason.stow@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
⁵ Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada; Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada. Electronic address: jason.obrien@ec.gc.ca.
⁶ Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada; Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road), Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada. Electronic address: robert.letcher@ec.gc.ca.

PMID: 34624268
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112169

Abstract

Temporal trends of mercury in Arctic wildlife are inconsistent within and between species and are often insignificant, which limits data interpretation. Recent multivariate analyses have shown that weather and climate factors (e.g. temperatures, sea ice conditions) are related to total Hg (THg) concentrations in wildlife tissues, though relatively few studies have explored these relationships. The present study compared time series of THg concentrations in liver of polar bear (Ursus maritimus, 2007/08-2015/16), eggs of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia, 1993-2015) and kidney of caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus, 2006-2015) from the Hudson Bay region of Canada and statistically modelled THg over time with available climate and weather data. Significant temporal trends of THg concentrations were not detected in any species. However, in multivariate models that included time-lagged sea ice freeze up dates, THg concentrations increased 4.4% yr^-1 in Qamanirjuaq caribou. Sea ice conditions were also related to THg levels in polar bear liver but not those in eggs of murres, though year was not a signifcant factor. Greater precipitation levels one to two years prior to sampling were associated with greater THg concentrations in polar bears and caribou, likely due to greater deposition, flooding and discharge from nearby wetlands and rivers. Time-lagged Arctic and/or North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO) indices also generated significant, inverse models for all three species, agreeing with relationships in other time series of similar length. The magnitude and direction of many relationships were affected by season, duration of time-lags, and the length of the time series. Our findings support recent observations suggesting that temporal studies monitoring Hg in Arctic wildlife should consider including key climatic or weather factors to help identify consistent variables of influence and to improve temporal analyses of THg time series.

Keywords: Arctic; Climate change; Hudson Bay region; Mercury; Weather; Wildlife.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Arctic Regions
Charadriiformes*
Climate Change
Environmental Monitoring
Mercury* / analysis
Reindeer*
Temperature
Ursidae*

Substances

Mercury