A review of Arctic trace metal data with implications for biological effects

This paper reviews much of the existing data on trace metal distributions in the Arctic. Numerous papers giving sediment data are reviewed, including some not yet published, fewer papers were found giving data on organisms and still fewer were found containing dissolved trace metal data. None of the data examined suggests that trace metals might be affecting the health of Arctic organisms. Rather, the trace metal concentrations found in Arctic waters, sediments and organisms, with few exceptions, are similar to those found in temperate areas thought to be largely free of pollutant levels of metals. Nevertheless, the existing data base for the Arctic is much smaller and more geographically restricted than that for temperate and tropical regions and the sensitivity of Arctic organisms to pollutant metals is not well known. Monitoring programs carefully designed to detect any influence of human activity on trace metal distributions in the Arctic should be initiated now.