American Mink

The American mink is a year-round resident of the Tittabawassee River floodplain. It is a popular furbearing species and highly sought after by area trappers. The American mink is a very skilled and versatile hunter that seeks fish and mammalian prey, such as muskrat and mice.

Our research aims to verify that the American mink population that resides within the Tittabawassee River floodplain is not experiencing adverse effects from site-specific contaminants, specifically dioxins and furans.

Site-specific dietary exposure is assessed following the collection of forage fish and small mammals, including muskrat and mice, and subsequent contaminant concentration analysis.

Liver, muscle, and fat tissues of the mink are analyzed for contaminant concentrations to characterize exposure.

The health of the mink population is assessed through the evaluation of productivity variables, such as the number of kits birthed per female, and abundance variables, which are quantified through track surveys.

Mink were collected from reference areas on the Pine and Chippewa rivers to areas downstream of Midland, Michigan, ranging to the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.

Integrating the results from each line of evidence will provide the necessary information to estimate the risk to American mink within the Tittabawassee River floodplain.