During the period 1978-1989, samples of liver, kidney and subcutaneous fat from. 24 polar bears, Ursus maritimus, from Svalbard were analysed for mercury,.
Environmental Pollution 77 (1992) 51-57
Some heavy metals, essential elements, and chlorinated hydrocarbons in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) at Svalbard The late Gunnar Norheim,'* Janneche Utne Skaare':~ & Oystein W i i g b a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine~National Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., N-0033 Oslo 1, Norway b Norwegian Polar Research Institute, P.O. Box 158, N-1330 Oslo Lufthavn, Norway (Received 7 May 1991; revised version received 27 August 1991; accepted 2 September 1991)
During the period 1978-1989, samples of liver, kidney and subcutaneous fat from 24 polar bears, Ursus maritimus, from Svalbard were analysed for mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, selenium, arsenic, HCB, DDE, and PCBs (as Aroclor 1260R or Phenoclor DP6R). In a selected number of liver (seven) and fat (three) samples, the composition of individual PCB congeners was studied by comparison with 23 individual PCB congeners (IUPAC nos. 28, 52, 74, 101, 99, 110, 149, 118, 114, 105, 153, 141,138, 187, 128, 183, 156, 157, 180, 170, 194, 206 and 209). In the seven liver samples, the concentrations of o,p'- and p,p'-isomers of DDT, TDE, DDE, a-,/3- and 3,-HCH, oxychlordane, heptachlor, heptachlorepoxide, aldrin and dieldrin were also determined. The hepatic concentrations of mercury, cadmium and lead in animals of all ages were 0-4-6-0,
