Fróðskaparrit - 31.12.2000, Qupperneq 143

KANNINGAR AV KYKSILVRI OG ORGANOKLORIDUM
IEINSTØKUM HAVSUGDJORUM I FØROYUM
147
of adult females did exceed that of the adult
males, the reason is more to be sought in
the social structure of the pod rather than in
the ability to metabolise and excrete OC.
This is because studies of pilot whale be-
haviour indicate that adult males may be re-
garded as visitors to the pods more than
permanent members (Andersen and Siegis-
mund, 1994; Andersen, 1993). Hence, the
foraging area and, therefore, the contami-
nant exposure history of the adults are not
necessarily the same and this is mirrored in
the body contaminant burden.
However, from the perspective of whale
meat and blubber consumption, it is also
useful to know the maximum dose of pollu-
tants that may be encountered via food in-
take. For this purpose, the results of the
pooled samples are not sufficient. It was,
thus, decided to analyse individual pilot
whales for the pollutants. Favourable cir-
cumstances also gave access to samples of
another species of whale that is consumed,
the white-sided dolphin, and to samples of
grey seal. There was much interest in
analysing these species, especially given
the fact that individual analyses had not
been conducted previously on seal samples
from the Faroe Islands.
Hence, the present study provides the
worst-case scenario from the consumer
point of view. The study also indicates, in
Table 2. The number of individuals in each of thefour groups ofjuveniles and adults, females and males, and
the average body lengths and/or ages ofthese. N = number of individuals, length = body length in cm., size is
given in skinn.
Talva 2. Tal av einstaklingum í hvørjum av teimum fýra bólkunum av hvølpum, honum og hannum er víst eins
og miðalhvalalongd og/ella aldur. N = tal av einstaklingum, longd = hvalalongd í cm, støddin er víst í skinnum.
mean min. max. grey seal white-sided dolphin pilot whale Sandavágur 26 Aug 1997 pilot whale Tórshavn 24 Sep 1997 pilot whale Tórshavn 13 Nov 1997 pilot whale Leynar 2 Dec 1997
N age length N length N size length N size length N size length N size length
juv. 2 137 172 2 270 3 278 3 284 5 291
female N=10 1 121 N=7 135 N=7 0 190 z 11 os 2 220 N=5 2 250 N=7 1 207
5 156 190 4 340 5 360 6 370 7 372
ad. 15 178 222 7 430 7 428 8 426 9 404
female N=11 8 164 N=8 210 N=16 5 375 N=31 2 390 N=21 4 380 N =31 7 375
27 190 230 9 480 9 460 10 440 10 445
juv. 3 147 215 4 372 7 406 8 415 7 354
male N=7 1 129 N=1 N=19 1 220 ON II Z 2 285 N =17 1 220 N =9 3 260
5 171 9 480 10 490 12 490 12 440
ad. 19 216 248 10 544 12 543 13 532 18 528
male N=3 13 204 N=12 225 N =8 8 520 z II 11 510 N =7 12 510 N =3 17 520
22 227 12 265 11 580 13 570 15 560 18 535