Wild mink (Neovison vison) as sentinels in environmental monitoring

Abstract

Summary: For monitoring of endocrine disruptors and other contaminants in terms of exposure levels and possible effects on the reproductive system, suitable sentinel species have to be used. The wild mink is putatively a good sentinel, as it is a semi-aquatic top predator present in all parts of Sweden and it is hunted extensively. When studying the wild mink from an environmental health perspective, one has to consider advantages and disadvantages with different ways of sampling. Field studies often generate large data sets and the variables measured may show large variation due to intrinsic and extrinsic biological factors; this must be adjusted for when analyzing data in order to increase the chances of identifying associations between exposure and health effects. With focus on our own data from studies in wild mink in Sweden, this article describes how the mink can be used in large scale screening of exposure and effects of contaminants.