Mercury, organic-mercury and selenium in small cetaceans in Taiwanese waters

摘要

Total Hg(ΣHg), organic-Hg(O-Hg)and Se bioaccumulations in small cetaceans distributed in Taiwanese waters of the Taiwan Strait and the southwestern Pacific have been investigated for the first time. The results could represent the baseline metal con- Centrations of marine mammals in the southwestern Pacific, where volcanic activities are possibly the major source of mercury to the Environments. Muscle samples of four species of small cetaceans were collected from animals accidentally caught by tuna-longline Fisheries from 1994 through 1995. In total, 53 pantropical spotted dolphins, Stenella attenuata, nine spinner dolphins, S.longirostris, Five bottlenose dolphins, Turiops truncatus and four Risso's dolphins, Grampus giseus were anlayzed.