PCBs and Organochlorine Pesticide Levels in Otter (Lutra lutra) Scats from Eastern Scotland

Thirty-five samples of otter scats were collected from rivers draining into the Firth of Forth, a heavily populated and industrialised region of eastern Scotland into which otter populations have been recently expanding. Samples from the River Devon had generally high levels of PCBs, with elevated amounts of dieldrin in samples collected close to an industrial area with woollen mills. Dieldrin and PCBs were also high in samples from the River Tyne. The more rural Forth, Teith and Allan rivers had samples with generally lower levels of contamination.