Updated 2000-10-30
The study covers many areas of ecotoxicology research on polar bears. Monitoring of POP levels and studies of effects on endocrine disruption, immune system, reproduction, and demography are all parts of the study.
This is a National Implementation Plan (NIP) project
Time frame
- Status
- Ongoing
- Project time span
- 1996 - 2001
- Data collection
- 1990 - 2000
- Data processing
- 1990 - 1998
- Data reporting
- 1990 - 1998
Data availability
- Are data archived or planned to be archived at an AMAP Thematic Data Centre?
- no
- If no (or only part of data are reported to a TDC), where and how are (other) data stored?
- Data are stored at the Norwegian Polar Institute and coupled to relevant biological data.
- References to key publications (or planned publications) and data reports
- Skaare, J. U., Bernhoft, A., Wiig, Ø., Norum, K. R., Eide, D. M., and Derocher, A. E. Relationships between plasma levels of organochlorines, retinol and thyroid hormones from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) at Svalbard. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. in press.
Andersen, M., Lie, E., Derocher, A. E., Belikov, S. E., Bernhoft, A., Boltunov, A., Garner, G. W., Skaare, J. U., and Wiig, Ø. PCB levels in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the European and Asian Arctic. Polar Biology. in press.
Bernhoft, A., Skaare, J. U., Wiig, Ø., Derocher, A. E., and Larsen, H. J. S. 2000. Possible immunotoxic effects of organochlorines in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) at Svalbard. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 59: 561-574.
Skaare, J. U., Bernhoft, A., Derocher, A., Gabrielsen, G. W., Goksøyr, A., Henriksen, E., Larsen, H. J., Lie, E., and Wiig, Ø. 2000. Organochlorines in top predators at Svalbard - occurrence, levels and effects. Toxicology Letters. 112: 103-109.
Bernhoft A, Wiig Ø, Skaare JU (1997) Organochlorines in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) at Svalbard. Environmental Pollution 95:159-175
- Samples/specimens archived in specimen banks?
- Yes
- Specimen banking information
blood plasma and serum, milk samples, fat biopsies stored at Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø stored at -20 C
Methods & Procedures
- Procedures and methodology used for, e.g., sampling and sample storage, sample pretreatment, extraction and analysis, including which laboratories are involved, references to methods employed, etc.
see Bernhoft et al. 1997
- QA/QC Information (what QA/QC procedures are implemented, laboratories involvment in QA/QC activities, model verification/validation routines, etc.)
PCB analyses were performed at the Environmental Toxicology Laboratory at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science / National Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway. The laboratory has Norwegian Accreditation for OCs according to the requirements of NS-EN45001 and ISO/IEC Guide 25. The analytical quality of the laboratory was approved in several inter-calibration tests containing components and matrixes relevant to their work. This includes four steps of the ICES/IOC/OSPARCOM test organised by WHO/UNEP in 1982,1992 and 1996, IUPAC-inter-calibration test in 1989-1993 and an inter-comparison series organised by the National Reference Laboratories in the EU starting in 1995.
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
Canadian Wildlife Service
University of Umeå