Geographic variation of metal concentrations in wolverine of western North America

Through collaborations with a network of territorial government biologists, existing sample collections from carcass retrieval programs administered by territorial governments were analyzed mainly for total mercury, but also in a subset of samples for methylmercury and a suite of metals including lead and cadmium. This study examined spatial variation in mercury bioaccumulation across Arctic regions using muscle samples from a large number of animals (419 wolverines). For a subset of animals, the distribution of metals among tissues (brain, liver, kidney, muscle, hair) was investigated. The datasets generated from this study provide a baseline from which to further investigate potential long-term impacts of atmospheric mercury deposition to the terrestrial environment.

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Additional Info

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Last Updated April 17, 2026, 22:00 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 22:00 (UTC)
contact_email enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
contact_person {"en": "Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada; Science and Technology Branch/Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate/Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, 613-991-9835, john.chetelat@ec.gc.ca", "fr": "Gouvernement du Canada; Environnement et Changement climatique Canada; Direction générale des sciences et de la technologie/Direction des sciences des espèces sauvages et du paysage/Écotoxicologie et santé de la faune, 613-991-9835, john.chetelat@ec.gc.ca"}
criticality_level []
data_dictionary []
geographic_scope ["0"]
open_canada_collection primary
open_canada_date_modified 2022-06-06 04:00:00
open_canada_date_published 2022-06-06 04:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"en": ["Geographic data", "Metals", "Terrestrial ecosystems", "Arctic ecosystems", "Game (Wildlife)"], "fr": ["Données géographiques", "Métal", "Écosystème terrestre", "Écosystème arctique", "Gibier"]}
open_canada_subject ["nature_and_environment"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr Variation géographique des concentrations de métaux chez le carcajou de l'ouest de l'Amérique du Nord
update_frequency as_needed