Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated dibenzofuran, and polychlorinated biphenyl accumulation in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) near a magnesium smelter in Quebec, Canada

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) near a magnesium-refining facility in Quebec (Canada) known to be a source of chlorinated organic compounds to the area. We compared contaminant concentrations in deer caught one year before the start of magnesium production with those measured three years later. Total PCB concentrations were spatially uniform in deer before magnesium production, but after magnesium production began, concentrations were higher near the smelter and decreased with distance. Many of the midrange PCB homologues that bioconcentrate most in deer showed similar relationships. Concentrations of coplanar PCB congeners and cytochrome P4501A expression in deer liver were examined in a subset of the samples, and these also showed a significant inverse relationship with distance after magnesium production began. This pattern was not observed for PCDD/F concentrations in deer. The risk involved for the human population in consuming local deer meat was assessed by applying contaminant concentrations measured in the present study to Health Canada consumption guidelines. Contaminants in deer were not shown to pose a serious risk to the population, but the number of portions of deer from beyond 20 km that could be safely consumed was less restrictive than the number for deer from within a 5-km radius of the magnesium smelter.