At the Hollings Marine Laboratory, a government University in S.C, it has been found that bottlenose dolphins and beluga whales accumulate more chemical pollutants near urbanized and industrial areas than otherwise.
"In papers recently published online by the journal Environmental Science & Technology, one research team looked at the levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) found in male dolphins along the U.S. East and Gulf of Mexico coasts and Bermuda, while the other group examined the levels of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in beluga whales at two Alaskan locations."
POP's (persistant organic pollutants) are chemicals that persist in the environment, as well as PFC's (perfluorinated compunds). They can spread both through air and water, and are affecting both wildlife and the human species, being that they are carcinogenic, alter nuerodevelopment, and affect immunity.
"To study POP concentrations in male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Duke University Marine Laboratory, Florida State University and the Chicago Zoological Society teamed up to collect and examine blubber biopsy samples from 2000 to 2007 at eight locations along the U.S. East coast (from New Jersey to Eastern Florida), five sites in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off Bermuda."
The studies showed that there were high concentrations of these pollutants in these two cetacean species. Many kinds of pollutants were found in concentrations, also, such as PCBs, DDT, PBDEs, and HCB, among a number of others.
"PFCs have been used as nonstick coatings and additives in a wide variety of goods including cookware, furniture fabrics, carpets, food packaging, fire-fighting foams and cosmetics. They are very stable, persist for a long time in the environment and are known to be toxic to the liver, reproductive organs and immune systems of laboratory mammals."
The chemicals were found within the livers of beluga whales.
So what does it mean for the ocean? Us humans?
Not only are we blatantly intoxicating the organs of organisms that live in the ocean, but we are intoxicating the organs of land organisms and avian ones alike. That includes us. With our use of chemicals we are destroying the planet, obviously. And, of course, we must find a solution, and fast. Higher concentrations and we will lose a good handful of species.
We must be more responsible.
Your fellow biologist, Ashley Marie
"In papers recently published online by the journal Environmental Science & Technology, one research team looked at the levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) found in male dolphins along the U.S. East and Gulf of Mexico coasts and Bermuda, while the other group examined the levels of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in beluga whales at two Alaskan locations."
POP's (persistant organic pollutants) are chemicals that persist in the environment, as well as PFC's (perfluorinated compunds). They can spread both through air and water, and are affecting both wildlife and the human species, being that they are carcinogenic, alter nuerodevelopment, and affect immunity.
"To study POP concentrations in male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Duke University Marine Laboratory, Florida State University and the Chicago Zoological Society teamed up to collect and examine blubber biopsy samples from 2000 to 2007 at eight locations along the U.S. East coast (from New Jersey to Eastern Florida), five sites in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off Bermuda."
The studies showed that there were high concentrations of these pollutants in these two cetacean species. Many kinds of pollutants were found in concentrations, also, such as PCBs, DDT, PBDEs, and HCB, among a number of others.
"These PCB levels were the highest ever observed in a group of living marine mammals."
"PFCs have been used as nonstick coatings and additives in a wide variety of goods including cookware, furniture fabrics, carpets, food packaging, fire-fighting foams and cosmetics. They are very stable, persist for a long time in the environment and are known to be toxic to the liver, reproductive organs and immune systems of laboratory mammals."
The chemicals were found within the livers of beluga whales.
So what does it mean for the ocean? Us humans?
Not only are we blatantly intoxicating the organs of organisms that live in the ocean, but we are intoxicating the organs of land organisms and avian ones alike. That includes us. With our use of chemicals we are destroying the planet, obviously. And, of course, we must find a solution, and fast. Higher concentrations and we will lose a good handful of species.
We must be more responsible.
Your fellow biologist, Ashley Marie
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