Non-essential trace elements, methylmercury, and organic contaminants in hunted ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

This study aimed to identify the levels of non-essential trace elements found in Ringed seals (Pusa hispida), a key source of food for Inuit communities in Nunavut, Canada. Non-essential trace elements including, cadmium (Cd), total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analysed in muscle and liver samples collected from ringed seals harvested during subsistence hunts by local Inuit hunters, from two locations on Baffin Island (Frobisher Bay and Eclipse Sound) from 2016-2018. All data are subject of a publication containing method details, full QA/QC, interpretations and conclusions. Citation: Daoust, P. Y., MacMillan, G. A., Sudlovenick, E., Simonee, J., Amyot, M., Houde, M., Lemire, M., & L'Hérault, V. (2025). Non-essential trace elements, methylmercury, and organic contaminants in hunted ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Chemosphere, 377, 144324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144324

Publisher

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Resources

2

Catalogue metadata updated

2025-06-10