Total Mercury, Total Selenium, and Monomethylmercury Relationships in Multiple Age Cohorts and Tissues of Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus).

ABSTRACT: Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) tissue mercury concentrations increasingly above thresholds of concern occur in regions of Alaska where lack of population recovery is noted. Selenium-monomethylmercury interactions may mitigate toxicosis but may also result in functional selenium deficiency, impacting essential selenium-dependent processes. Physiologically driven differences in tissue concentrations (organotropism) of total mercury ([THg]), total selenium ([TSe]), and monomethylmercury ([MeHg⁺ ]) confound interpretation for various age cohorts. Archived tissues from Alaska Steller sea lions (2002-2016) were used to compare [THg], [MeHg⁺ ], and [TSe] across age cohorts and tissue types. Liver [THg] ranged from 0.05 to 63.7 µg/g. Fetal and pup livers had significan

SUBMITTER: Castellini JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9433051 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature