Element Concentrations and Histopathology of Liver and Kidney in West Greenland Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida).

Simple Summary: The ringed seal is part of the daily diet for local Inuits in Greenland, and therefore, the contents of trace elements are being monitored bi-annually under the AMAP CORE Programme. In this study Hg, Cd and Se concentrations were measured in ringed seal livers, along with pathological changes in both the liver and the kidneys of the seals. The oldest seals had the highest concentrations of the three trace elements, while the content was the same in both sexes. In more than half of the livers, we found mononuclear cell infiltration (94.7%) and portal cell infiltration (68.4%), while glomerular mesangial deposits (54.1%) were the predominant finding in the kidney. Ringed seals are consumed in Greenland and are therefore included as a key biomonitoring species with the focus on pollution exposure and health effects. Ringed seals in Central West Greenland (Qeqertarsuaq) and in North West Greenland (Qaanaaq) were analyzed for metal concentrations in the liver and histological changes in the liver and kidney. The mean liver concentration of mercury in Qaanaaq was 3.73 ± 5.01 µg/g ww (range: 0.28–23.29 µg/g ww), and the mean cadmium concentration was 7.80 ± 8.95 µg/g ww (range: 0.013–38.79 µg/g ww). For Qeqertarsuaq, the liver concentration of mercury was 1.78 ± 1.70 µg/g ww (range: 0.45–8.00 µg/g ww) and the mean cadmium concentration was 11.58 ± 6.32 µg/g ww (range: 0.11–25.45 µg/g ww). Age had a positive effect on the liver concentrations of metals, while no effect was found for sex or histological changes. The prevalence of histological changes in liver tissue decreased in the following order: random pattern mononuclear cell infiltration (92.1%), portal cell infiltration (68.4%), hepatic intracellular fat (18.4%), portal fibrosis (7.9%), focal hepatic fibrosis (7.9%), bile duct hyperplasia/fibrosis (7.9%) and lipid granuloma (2.6%). For kidney tissue, the prevalence of histological changes decreased in the following order: glomerular mesangial deposits (54.1%) > glomerular basement membrane thickening (45.9%) > THD (40%) > tubular hyaline casts (14.0%) > glomerular atrophy (13.5%) > dilated tubules (13.5%) > glomerular hyper-cellularity (10.8%) > mononuclear cell infiltrations (8.1%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]