Ross J. Norstrom

TL;DR: Results of this study show the utility of using delta 15N to characterize trophic level andtrophic transfer of POPs but highlight the effects of species and chemical differences on trophIC transfer of Pops that can be overlooked when a single magnification factor is applied to an entire food web.

TL;DR: Polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and chlordane-related compounds as well as DDT, hexachlorocyclohexane, toxaphene, and chlorobenzenes were determined in pooled arctic cod muscle and polar bear fat and in the blubber and liver of 59 ringed seals from the east-central Canadian Arctic.

TL;DR: The food web behavior of THg and delta15N appears constant, regardless of trophic state (eutrophic vs. oligotrophic), latitude (Arctic vs. tropical) or salinity (marine vs. freshwater) of the ecosystem.

TL;DR: Concentrations of most PCBs and OC pesticides in ringed seal and polar bear populations in the Canadian Arctic are quite similar indicating a uniform geographic distribution of contamination, although alpha-HCH showed a distinct latitudinal gradient in bears due to higher levels in zones influenced by continental runoff.

TL;DR: This review summarizes and synthesizes the significant amount of data which was generated on mercury (Hg) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Canadian Arctic marine biota since the first Canadian Arctic Contaminants Assessment Report (CACAR) was published in 1997 to lead to a better understanding of the current levels and spatial and temporal trends of contaminants in biota.