CONCENTRATIONS OF HEAVY-METALS AND SELENIUM IN TISSUES AND SOME FOODSOF WALRUS (ODOBENUS-ROSMARUS-ROSMARUS) FROM THE EASTERN CANADIAN ARCTIC AND SUB-ARCTIC, AND ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN METALS, AGE, AND GENDER

Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) harvested at Igloolik and Hall Beach (Foxe Basin) and Inukjuak and Akulivik (eastern coast of H udson Bay) and clams (Mya truncata) and cockles (Serripes groenlandicu s) collected at Igloolik were analyzed for heavy metals and Se. Pb was high in walrus from both Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin compared with othe r marine mammals, but levels were higher in animals from Hudson Bay th an Foxe Basin, showing a geographic trend of increasing concentration from north to south. In some tissues of clams, Pb was also high, up to 3 mug/g (wet weight). Hg levels in walrus were low compared with thos e in other Arctic marine mammals; in liver, Hg showed a geographic tre nd similar to Pb. Cd in liver and particularly in kidney of walrus was high compared with other Arctic marine mammals and was higher in thos e from Foxe Basin than Hudson Bay. Associations among metals and betwe en metals and age were found in walrus that were also reported for oth er marine mammals, namely between Hg and Se in liver, Hg and Cd in liv er, Hg and Cd with age in kidney, Cd with Zn in liver and kidney, and Hg and Se in liver with gender.