Table 2 Distribution of Zn, Cu, Cd and total Hg in the insoluble fraction (centrifugation pellet), soluble fraction, high molecular weight proteins (HMWP), metallothionein-like proteins (MTs), and low molecular weight proteins (LMWP) of harbour porpoises stranded along the Belgian coast (concentration expressed in μg.g^-1 dw).

Liver

Zn n = 14

86 ± 58 (30 – 228)

53 ± 19 (29 – 104)

144 ± 165 (16 – 595)

1.8 ± 1.7 (<0.1–6.2)

30 ± 20 %

19 ± 7 %

51 ± 58 %

~0%

Cu n = 14

14 ± 12 (6 – 43)

5 ± 3 (1.3 – 12)

10 ± 11 (2 – 39)

<0.1 (<0.1 – 6.1)

48 ± 41 %

18 ± 10 %

34 ± 38 %

~0%

Cd n = 14

0.2 ± 0.2 (0.01 – 0.6)

0.5 ± 0.6 (<0.1 – 1.8)

1.1 ± 0.8 (0.1 – 27)

0.5 ± 1 (<0.1 – 3.4)

9 ± 9 %

21.5 ± 26 %

48 ± 36 %

21.5 ± 43 %

Hg n = 14

43 ± 51 (0.5 – 167)

0.1 ± 0.1 (<0.1 – 0.3)

<0.1 (<0.1 – 0.2)

<0.1(<0.1)

99.5 ± 12 %

~0.25 ± 0.02%

~0.25%

~0%

Kidney

Zn n = 14

55 ± 12 (36 – 69)

40 ± 21 (23 – 105)

16 ± 5 (6 – 28)

4.4 ± 7 (<0.1 – 27)

48 ± 10 %

35 ± 18 %

14 ± 4 %

<4 ± 6 %

Cu n = 14

8.8 ± 2.2 (6 – 13)

2.8 ± 1.8 (0.4 – 6.1)

2.9 ± 1.6 (0.6 – 6)

<0.1 (<0.1)

61 ± 15 %

19 ± 12 %

20 ± 11 %

~0%

Cd n = 14

1.1 ± 1.8 (<0.1 – 5.6)

0.2 ± 0.6 (<0.1 – 0.9)

1.9 ± 2 (<0.1 – 5)

0.2 ± 0.8 (<0.1 – 1.7)

33 ± 53 %

6 ± 18%

56 ± 59 %

5 ± 23 %

Hg n = 10

3.2 ± 3.3 (0.7 – 12)

0.5 ± 0.3 (0.2 – 1.1)

0.3 ± 0.2 (0.1 – 0.4)

0.2 ± 0.1 (<0.1 – 0.5)

76 ± 78%

12 ± 7%

7 ± 5%

5 ± 2%