Organochlorine contaminant levels in Willow Ptarmigans, Lagopus lagopus, from the western Canadian arctic

Abstract

Baseline levels of organochlorine contaminants were established for Willow Ptarmigans (Lagopus lagopus) from two coastal areas in the western Canadian arctic. Egg, muscle and liver samples were tested for the presence of 21 organochlorines and 17 PCB congeners. All contaminants were below detection limits (< 0.1 ng/g for organochlorines and < 0.2 ng/g for PCB congeners) in the analysed eggs. Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane, γ-HCH and QCB were the only compounds detected in the muscle samples. In addition to these compounds, OCS, trans-Chlordane, trans-Nonachlor, p,p1-DDE, HC Epox and PCB 66/95 were detected in the liver samples. The level of contaminants detected in the ptarmigan studied was low. The implications of low-level contamination in ptarmigan and their sensitivity to contaminants is discussed in regard to their contribution to the arctic terrestrial food chain and their suitability as terrestrial ecosystem sentinel species in the Canadian Arctic.