Emerging contaminants and biological effects in Arctic wildlife

Christian Sonne; Rune Dietz; Bjørn Munro Jenssen; Su Shiung Lam; Robert J Letcher

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2021.01.007

Emerging contaminants and biological effects in Arctic wildlife

Trends Ecol Evol. 2021 May;36(5):421-429. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.01.007. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Authors

Christian Sonne¹, Rune Dietz², Bjørn Munro Jenssen³, Su Shiung Lam⁴, Robert J Letcher⁵

Affiliations

¹ Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Henan Agricultural University, Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, 63 Nongye Rd, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China. Electronic address: cs@bios.au.dk.
² Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
³ Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Biology, Høgskoleringen 1, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway; University Centre in Svalbard, Department of Arctic Technology, PO Box 156, NO-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway.
⁴ Pyrolysis Technology Research Group, Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Henan Agricultural University, Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, 63 Nongye Rd, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China.
⁵ Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada.

PMID: 33602568
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.01.007

Abstract

Recent advances in environmental analytical chemistry have identified the presence of a large number of chemicals of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) being transported long range to the region. There has been very limited temporal monitoring of CEACs and it is therefore unknown whether they are of increasing or decreasing concern. Likewise, information on potential biological adverse effects from CEACs on Arctic wildlife is lacking compared with legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) found at levels associated with health effects in marine mammals. Hence, there is a need to monitor CEACs along with POPs to support risk and regulatory CEAC assessments. We suggest pan-Arctic temporal trend studies of CEACs in wildlife including the establishment of toxicity thresholds to evaluate their potential effects on populations, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

Keywords: Arctic; biological effects; chemicals of emerging concern; climate change; multiple stressors; wildlife.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Animals
Animals, Wild*
Arctic Regions
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Pollutants* / analysis
Environmental Pollutants* / toxicity

Substances

Environmental Pollutants