The Arctic has long been considered to be a pristine environment, far
from population centers and pollution sources. The detection of synthetic
organochlorine compounds in various elements of the Arctic food web has confirmed
the global dispersion of pollutants, particularly of persistent compounds such as
organochlorines and heavy metals. Levels of heavy metals, although elevated, appear
to be naturally so throughout much of the Arctic. Arctic pollution is both a
humanitarian and ecological concern. Many arctic coastal communities depend heavily
on marine mammal fat for sustenance, and are therefore potentially exposed to high
levels of organochlorines and some metals. From an ecological perspective, the
structure of arctic food webs, the importance of lipid mobilization for winter survival,
and the adaptive physiologies of arctic organisms may result in an enhanced response to
contaminant exposure. This thesis assesses the exposure and effect of organochlorine
and heavy metal exposure in inland freshwater ecosystems of Arctic Alaska, and
evaluates the physiological response of arctic grayling to experimental polychlorinated
biphenyl (PCB) exposure. / Graduation date: 1995
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/34914 |
| Date | 12 April 1995 |
| Creators | Allen-Gil, Susan M. |
| Contributors | Curtis, Lawrence R. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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