The concentrations of four potentially toxic elements were analyzed in 70 spraint samples of Eurasian otters from the Daechung Lake area. The median concentrations of As, Hg, Ni, and Pb were 1.19, 1.06, 9.95, and 0.37 μg/g dry weight, respectively. A moderate negative correlation was observed between the levels of Hg and Pb (rs = -0.47). The Hg levels showed a weak negative correlation with the distances of the sampling locations from the Daechung Dam (rs = -0.35). This study provides baseline information on the health risks associated with the hazardous elements in otter species.

• Seungwoo Lee(BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University)
• Hye-Jin Yoo(BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University)
• Sung Yong Han(Korean Otter Research Center)
• Doug-Young Ryu(BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University) Corresponding Author