Publications by authors named "Fred Koontz"
Environ Monit Assess
August 2022
Article Synopsis
- River otters in the Green-Duwamish River, WA serve as apex predators and potential biomonitors of watershed health by accumulating contaminants through their diet.
- In a study involving 69 otter scat samples, it was found that contaminants like PCBs, PBDEs, DDTs, and PAHs were more prevalent in areas with higher urbanization, especially near a US Superfund site.
- The research suggests that river otters are effective for tracking environmental contamination and emphasizes the need for their scat to be utilized in assessing restoration efforts and monitoring contaminant levels.
