Table 2.

Summary of total mercury levels in sampled killer whales (n = 38).

Total mercury levels	Seal-eaters			Fish-eaters
	Alla (n = 10)	Adult male (n = 5)	Adult female (n = 4)	Alla (n = 28)	Adult male (n = 20)	Adult female (n = 3)
Measured in skin (µg/g d.w.)
μ ± SD	3.73 ± 1.26	3.52 ± 1.66	3.97 ± 0.95	1.76 ± 0.32	1.78 ± 0.27	3.19 ± 1.49
Geometric mean	3.47	3.11	3.87	1.73	1.76	2.98
Median (range)	3.95 (1.19–5.44)	3.71 (1.19–5.44)	4.18 (2.62–4.88)	1.79 (1.01–2.40)	1.83 (1.29–2.25)	2.62 (2.08–4.88)
Estimated in liver (µg/g w.w.)b
μ ± SD	12.5 ± 5.62	11.6 ± 7.1	12.5 ± 4.47	3.57 ± 1.05	3.68 ± 0.987	3.70 ± 0.531
Geometric mean	10.5	8.77	11.8	3.41	3.54	3.68
Median (range)	14.2 (1.78–18.5)	14.3 (1.78–18.5)	13.2 (6.48–17.1)	3.47 (1.49–5.65)	3.61 (1.57–5.65)	3.411 (3.38–4.31)

^aIncluding whales of unknown sex, subadults, and of unknown age: summary statistics for these whales found in Supplementary Table S4.

^bEstimated using equation $ln\left(H{g}_{\mathit{liver}}\right)=1.6124\times ln\left(H{g}_{\mathit{skin}}\right)+2.0346$ based on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)⁵⁸.