Undergraduate

Located west of the Alaska mainland in the Bering Sea, St. Lawrence Island is home to approximately 1,600 Siberian Yupik residents. The island also contains two formerly used defense sites (FUDS), one of which is located at Northeast Cape. Previous research reported local environments at the Northeast Cape FUDS having elevated concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and mercury (Hg). The current study is concerned with Hg contamination at the Northeast Cape. Hg is a toxic metal that acts as an endocrine disruptor in addition to causing neurological and reproductive harm in animals and humans. Due to its lipophilic nature, Hg bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through trophic food webs. Our current research focuses on the quantification of Hg concentrations in Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) trout living downstream of the Northeast Cape FUDS. The Dolly Varden was selected for both its relatively high trophic position as well as its cultural significance within the traditional diet of the Yupik residents. Dolly Varden samples were collected from the Suqitughneq (Suqi) River in 2013 and 2015, and stored at -80C. Samples were sexed using previously described PCR techniques. Using a PerkinElmer FIMS 100 Flow Injector Hg system, Hg content of each sample was analyzed. Based on previous studies of sediments, we expect Hg concentrations in Dolly Varden living downstream of the Northeast Cape FUDS in the Suqi River to be significantly higher than those found upstream. The relevance of the current study is that residents of St. Lawrence Island face health disparities due in part to contaminant exposure. Our study will evaluate Hg concentrations in an important subsistence food, and also has relevance to contamination of higher trophic level wildlife.