Contaminants in polar bears

Updated 2005-10-03

Polar bears are at the top of the arctic marine food chain. Owing to the high lipid content of their diet, polar bears appear particularly prone to bioaccumulate organochlorines. Polar bears from East Greenland and Svalbard have higher contaminant levels than polar bears elsewhere in the Arctic. Levels of PCBs in these areas might negatively affect reproduction and survival. So far more than 130 polar bear samples have been collected since 1999. These samples are being analysed for organochlorines and pathological effects.

This is a National Implementation Plan (NIP) project

http://dce.au.dk/en/

Status: Ongoing
Project time span: 1998 - 2006
Data collection: 1999 - 2006
Data processing: 2001 - 2006
Data reporting: 2001 - 2006

Contact information

Contact person: Rune Dietz
Address: NERI Frederiksborgvej 399 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
Phone: +45 46301938
Fax: +45 46301914
Email: kd.umd@idr
Other project contacts: Christian Sonne, NERI

Parameters and Media

Parameter groups measured/observed/modelled

Biological effects

Heavy metals

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Media sampled/studied/modelled

Marine mammals

Geography

Regions studied: Marine TDC

Data availability

Are data archived or planned to be archived at an AMAP Thematic Data Centre?: yes-partly

Data centres: Marine TDC

If no (or only part of data are reported to a TDC), where and how are (other) data stored?

The contaminant concentrations will be reported

Samples/specimens archived in specimen banks?: Yes

Specimen banking information: Tissues of polar bear

Methods & Procedures

Not specified

Additional Information

Is this a bi- AND multi-lateral project (i.e. a project involving cooperation between different countries)?: Yes
Other institutes involved in the project: Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark Kgl. Veterinær og Landbohøjskole, Denmark Carleton University, Canadian Wildlife Service, Canada National Water Research Institute, Burlington, Canada Norgen Tekniske og Naturvidenskabelige Universitet, Trondheim, Norway
Is this project reporting to other organizations/programmes?: IUCN, International Polar Bear Specialist Group
Indigenous AND traditional knowledge used in this project: Inuit hunters are collecting the polar bears samples during their traditional hunt. In addition an interview investigation has been carried out among the hunters in East Greenland to reveal information on the polar bear health, distribution and migration patterns.