Mercury and Selenium Concentrations in Cetaceans of the East Asian Seas

Published: 8 July 2026| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/j4zsfpp7mh.1
Contributors:
, Sangwoo Eom,
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Description

This dataset reports total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and selenium (Se) concentrations, with the percentage of MeHg and Se to Hg molar ratios, in liver tissue of 111 cetaceans stranded or bycaught along the Korean coast of the East Asian marginal seas. Three species are represented, namely minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata, n = 66), common dolphin (Delphinus capensis or Delphinus delphis, n = 44), collected across the East Sea, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea. Mercury stable isotope compositions are additionally provided for a subset of 13 individuals. The data support analyses of Hg bioaccumulation, MeHg demethylation, and Hg and Se co-detoxification in marine mammals.

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Institutions

Categories

Mercury, Liver, Trace Metal, Selenium, Whale, Dolphin, Stable Isotope

Funders

  • National Research Foundation of Korea
    Ministry of Science and ICT
    Daejeon
    Grant ID: RS-2024-00454238
  • AI Circular Economy Specialized Graduate School Program of the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institue (KEITI)

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