Trace element concentrations, including Cd and Hg, in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas edwardii) mass stranded on the New Zealand coast

A Lischka; E L Betty; H E Braid; C J Pook; S Gaw; K S R Bolstad

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112084

Trace element concentrations, including Cd and Hg, in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas edwardii) mass stranded on the New Zealand coast

Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Apr:165:112084. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112084. Epub 2021 Feb 11.

Authors

A Lischka¹, E L Betty², H E Braid³, C J Pook⁴, S Gaw⁵, K S R Bolstad³

Affiliations

¹ AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology & Systematics, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. Electronic address: alexandra.lischka@aut.ac.nz.
² Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural and Computational Sciences, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand.
³ AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology & Systematics, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
⁴ Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, 85 Park Rd, Grafton, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.
⁵ School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.

PMID: 33582419
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112084

Abstract

The Southern Hemisphere long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas edwardii) is a top predator in the New Zealand pelagic food web, feeding predominantly on arrow squids. This study quantified trace element concentrations (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Mn, Pb, Se, V, Zn) in four tissues (blubber, kidney, liver, muscle) from 21 individuals from stranding sites in New Zealand. Maximum Cd and Hg concentrations were measured in liver and kidney, respectively. Selenium had a positive correlation with Cd and Hg, suggesting the involvement of Se in Cd and Hg detoxification. Arrow squids from the whales' stomach contents were DNA barcoded and identified as Nototodarus sloanii. Trace element concentrations were measured in squid samples from the whale stomach contents. The significant correlation for Hg between the squid tissue and the whale tissue suggests that arrow squids play a major role in trace element uptake by G. m. edwardii.

Keywords: Bioaccumulation; Cadmium; Cetaceans; Mercury; Selenium; Southern Hemisphere.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cadmium
Fin Whale*
Mercury*
New Zealand
Trace Elements* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Whales, Pilot*

Substances

Trace Elements
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Cadmium
Mercury