Table 3.
Median (range) and mean ± SE (or single measurement) of trace elements (µg/g, wet mass) in liver tissue of 16 species of stranded cetaceans
| Common name | n | Cr | Mn | Cu | Zn | As | Se | Sr | Cd | Sn | Hg | Pb | Hg:Se |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blainville's beaked whale | 1 | 0.20 | 4.34 | 6.84 | 70.14 | 0.16 | 4.05 | 0.08 | 19.06 | 0.03 | 9.81 | 0.02 | 0.95 |
| Bottlenose dolphin | 3 | 0.43 (0.29 – 3.86) 1.53 ± 1.17 |
2.71 (2.32 – 5.80) 3.61 ± 1.10 |
6.47 (3.93 – 10.32) 6.91 ± 1.86 |
70.56 (39.34 – 102.65) 70.85 ± 18.28 |
0.24 (0.22 – 2.11) 0.86 ± 0.63 |
7.28 (1.65 – 34.22) 14.39 ± 10.05 |
0.19 (0.12 – 0.20) 0.17 ± 0.03 |
0.48 (0.005 – 12.61) 4.37 ± 4.12 |
0.01 (0.005 – 0.02) 0.01 ± 0.005 |
2.28 (1.53 – 89.44) 31.08 ± 25.27 |
0.01 (0.004 – 0.01) 0.01 ± 0.003 |
0.36 (0.12 – 1.03) 0.51 ± 0.27 |
| Cuvier's beaked whale | TE = 1 Hg = 2 |
1.50 | 2.01 | 7.35 | 45.89 | 3.71 | 3.02 | 0.50 | 37.51 | 0.04 | 8.31 (5.85 – 10.77) 8.31 ± 2.46 |
0.02 | 0.76 |
| Dwarf sperm whale | 2 | 1.05 (0.28 – 1.82) 1.05 ± 0.77 |
9.28 (1.26 – 17.31) 9.28 ± 8.02 |
3.80 (3.26 – 4.34) 3.80 ± 0.54 |
38.62 (24.19 – 53.05) 38.62 ± 14.43 |
1.12 (0.66 – 1.59) 1.12 ± 0.47 |
10.96 (9.09 – 12.83) 10.96 ± 1.87 |
1.59 (0.42 – 2.77) 1.59 ± 1.18 |
25.02 (22.70 – 27.35) 25.02 ± 2.33 |
0.25 (0.09 – 0.42) 0.25 ± 0.17 |
15.63 (9.25 – 22.00) 15.63 ± 6.4 |
0.07 (0.03 – 0.10) 0.07 ± 0.04 |
0.54 (0.40 – 0.67) 0.54 ± 0.14 |
| False killer whale | 1 | 0.28 | 3.11 | 12.23 | 32.65 | 1.81 | 633.06 | 0.06 | 58.93 | 1.16 | 1571.75 | 0.20 | 0.98 |
| Humpback whale | TE = 1 Hg = 5 |
0.68 | 1.40 | 156.13 | 112.52 | 0.03 | 0.92 | 0.12 | 0.003 | 0.009 | 0.012 (0.006 – 0.023) 0.01 ± 0.004 |
0.01 | 0.003 |
| Killer whale | 1 | 0.34 | 1.82 | 5.16 | 41.39 | 0.04 | 105.81 | 0.18 | 0.72 | 0.05 | 263.76 | 0.003 | 0.98 |
| Longman's beaked whale | 1 | 0.16 | 2.63 | 3.53 | 61.54 | 0.27 | 0.85 | 0.07 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 1.33 | 0.004 | 0.61 |
| Melon-headed whale | TE = 2 Hg = 3 |
0.16 (0.12 – 0.20) 0.16 ± 0.04 |
1.78 (1.42 – 2.15) 1.78 ± 0.37 |
3.82 (3.52 – 4.12) 3.82 ± 0.30 |
27.42 (22.84 – 32.01) 27.42 ± 4.59 |
1.26 (1.18 – 1.35) 1.26 ± 0.09 |
43.99 (1.23 – 86.74) 43.99 ± 42.75 |
0.11 (0.01 – 0.14) 0.11 ± 0.04 |
6.09 (0.005 – 12.18) 6.09 ± 6.09 |
0.062 (0.01 – 0.12) 0.06 ± 0.05 |
204.49 (1.82 – 277.98) 161.43 ± 82.58 |
0.024 (0.01 – 0.034) 0.024 ± 0.010 |
0.75 (0.58 – 0.93) 0.75 ± 0.17 |
| Pantropical-spotted dolphin |
2 | 0.69 (0.06 – 1.32) 0.69 ± 0.63 |
2.18 (0.59 – 3.78) 2.18 ± 1.59 |
25.32 (6.75 – 43.89) 25.32 ± 18.57 |
46.05 (25.99 – 66.11) 46.05 ± 20.06 |
1.29 (1.21 – 1.38) 1.29 ± 0.09 |
19.64 (2.18 – 37.09) 19.64 ± 17.46 |
0.10 (0.04 – 0.17) 0.10 ± 0.06 |
1.21 (0.003 – 2.42) 1.21 ± 1.21 |
0.008 (0.006 – 0.01) 0.008 ± 0.002 |
47.91 (0.61 – 95.21) 47.91 ± 47.30 |
0.007 (0.007 – 0.008) 0.007 ± 0.0005 |
0.56 (0.11 – 1.01) 0.56 ± 0.45 |
| Pygmy killer whale | 1 | 0.20 | 2.49 | 1.90 | 14.72 | 0.21 | 58.84 | 0.12 | 1.40 | 0.05 | 142.28 | 0.01 | 0.95 |
| Pygmy sperm whale | 1 | 2.61 | 2.40 | 5.12 | 27.78 | 3.49 | 3.12 | 0.51 | 6.00 | 0.04 | 1.61 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Rough-toothed dolphin | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 224.84 | - | - |
| Sperm whale | 1 | 0.24 | 1.31 | 13.68 | 245.38 | 0.26 | 0.85 | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1.89 | 0.01 | 0.88 |
| Spinner dolphin | TE = 7 Hg = 10 |
0.38 (0.08 – 1.61) 0.59 ± 0.23 |
3.30 (2.04 – 4.66) 3.23 ± 0.35 |
5.37 (2.77 – 29.60) 9.05 ± 3.55 |
51.06 (29.72 – 98.52) 57.99 ± 8.38 |
1.06 (0.21 – 2.39) 1.11 ± 0.27 |
10.75 (0.88 – 14.36) 7.98 ± 2.24 |
0.09 (0.08 – 0.58) 0.17 ± 0.07 |
2.14 (0.003 – 7.35) 2.71 ± 1.08 |
0.01 (0.005 – 0.03) 0.012 ± 0.003 |
6.45 (0.52 – 39.27) 11.76 ± 3.94 |
0.006 (0.002 – 0.01) 0.006 ± 0.001 |
0.67 (0.09 – 0.97) 0.55 ± 0.13 |
| Striped dolphin | TE = 6 Hg = 8 |
0.34 (0.05 – 0.86) 0.41 ± 0.14 |
3.71 (2.40 – 4.68) 3.58 ± 0.35 |
6.85 (4.67 – 19.64) 8.63 ± 2.25 |
41.27 (23.83 – 76.62) 46.56 ± 9.25 |
0.71 (0.19 – 2.22) 0.89 ± 0.32 |
30.49 (2.16 – 76.27) 35.53 ± 13.04 |
0.11 (0.06 – 0.17) 0.11 ± 0.02 |
6.51 (0.007 – 25.64) 9.19 ± 3.80 |
0.10 (0.01 – 0.49) 0.21 ± 0.09 |
77.96 (3.20 – 198.18) 82.54 ± 26.33 |
0.01 (0.004 – 0.025) 0.012 ± 0.003 |
0.86 (0.57 – 0.98) 0.79 ± 0.07 |
| All samples | TE = 31 Hg = 43 |
0.32 (0.05 – 3.86) 0.68 ± 0.15 |
2.63 (0.59 – 17.30) 3.32 ± 0.51 |
6.00 (1.90 – 156.13) 13.34 ± 5.00 |
47.57 (14.72 – 245.38) 57.23 ± 7.69 |
1.04 (0.03 – 3.71) 1.07 ± 0.17 |
9.09 (0.85 – 633.06) 41.03 ± 20.40 |
0.12 (0.04 – 2.77) 0.25 ± 0.09 |
2.63 (0.003 – 58.93) 8.89 ± 2.42 |
0.02 (0.005 – 1.15) 0.11 ± 0.04 |
9.81 (0.006 – 1571.75) 86.43 ± 38.27 |
0.10 (0.002 – 0.20) 0.02 ± 0.007 |
0.76 (0.003 – 1.03) 0.65 ± 0.06 |
TE = all trace elements measured and Hg:Se ratio
Hg = mercury only measured