Profiling Accumulated PAHs and Metabolomic Responses in Truncate Soft-Shell Clam (Mya truncata) in the Canadian Arctic

This dataset included contaminant data of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and a variety of metabolites measured in truncate softshell clams (Mya truncata) collected near Iqaluit, Canada. Clams were hand collected during extreme low tide from two locations (n = 10) in Koojesse Inlet in August 2022. Samples were collected to determine the extent of PAH contamination in the region and the possible impacts it would have on clam populations as well as local communities that rely upon this species as a locally harvested food source.

In total, 52 alkylated and non-alkylated PAHs were assessed in clam whole bodies, including the US Environmental Protection Agency’s 16 priority PAHs. 51 metabolites were assessed in both the mantle and gills, and all clams were assessed for length, width, thickness, body mass and body condition.

This study was performed as a follow-up to a previous study of clams from the same locations performed in 2019 that investigated growth, biomarker responses and accumulation of inorganic elements in response to municipal wastewater exposure:

• Schaefer, C. M., Deslauriers, D., & Jeffries, K. M. (2022). The truncate soft-shell clam, Mya truncata, as a biomonitor of municipal wastewater exposure and historical anthropogenic impacts in the Canadian Arctic. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 79(3), 367-379. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2021-0078

For more information on this dataset, please consult the following paper:

• Boyd, A., Halldorson, T., Xia, Z., Tomy, G.T., Calosi, P., Jeffries, K.M., 2025. Profiling polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon accumulation and metabolomic responses in truncate soft-shell clam (Mya truncata) in the Canadian Arctic. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 219, 118276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118276

This project is part of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program Initiative under the Oceans Protection Plan of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and is funded through the Ecosystems and Oceans Science Contribution Framework.