Exploring Drivers of Historic Mercury Trends in Beluga Whales Using an Ecosystem Modeling Approach.

ABSTRACT: While mercury occurs naturally in the environment, human activity has significantly disturbed its biogeochemical cycle. Inorganic mercury entering aquatic systems can be transformed into methylmercury, a strong neurotoxicant that builds up in organisms and affects ecosystem and public health. In the Arctic, top predators such as beluga whales, an ecologically and culturally significant species for many Inuit communities, can contain high concentrations of methylmercury. Historical mercury concentrations in beluga in the western Canadian Arctic's Beaufort Sea cannot be explained by mercury emission trends alone; in addition, they could potentially be driven by climate change impacts, such as rising temperatures and sea ice melt. These changes can affect mercury bioaccumulation through diffe

SUBMITTER: Gillies EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11413906 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature