POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS IN A TERRESTRIAL PREDATOR, THE PINE MARTEN (MARTES-MARTES L)

A terrestrial predator population, the pine marten (Martes martes, L.) , inhabiting an area in mid-Sweden was investigated for polychlorinate d biphenyls, p,p'-DDE, lindane, and hexachlorobenzene. The condition o f the animals, as shown by intestine fat amounts or fat content of mus cle tissue, showed negative relationships with concentration of persis tent pollutants. The relationship resulted in a higher concentration o f pollutants as intestinal fat amounts or muscle fat content decreased and lower levels of pollutants as these indexes of condition improved . The results indicate that terrestrial predators show changes in poll utant concentration due to condition, caused by food availability and starvation. No differences in pollutant concentration were recorded be tween males and females and no relationship was found for levels of po llutants and age or reproduction (females). The latter results are in contrast to those found for aquatic predatory mammals.