BaselineTrace elements in tissues of cetacean species rarely stranded along the Israeli Mediterranean coast

•This is the first report on trace elements in Mysticeti in the Eastern Med. Sea.•Hg, Cd, Mn, Zn and Fe concentrations were higher in the toothed-whales tissues.•Extremely high Hg concentration was found in the liver of the Risso's dolphin.•High Cd was found in the kidney of the Cuvier's beaked whale.

In this paper we present the concentrations of Hg, Cd, Se, Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe in organs of 6 non-common specimens of cetaceans that were stranded along the Israeli Mediterranean coast (IMC), during 2002-2010: two fin whales, one minke whale, one Cuvier's beaked whale, one rough-toothed dolphin, and one Risso's dolphin. Most of the specimens were calves stranded by accident. Concentrations of Hg and Cd were low in tissues of the baleen whales and higher in the toothed whales, with maximum concentrations of 1067 mg kg−1 Hg in the liver of the Risso's dolphin and 29 mg kg−1 Cd in the kidney of the Cuvier's beaked whale. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of trace elements in baleen whales in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the first report of trace elements in minke whale and rough-toothed dolphin in the Mediterranean.