This May Be The 'Most Contaminated Killer Whale' On The Planet

Researchers in Scotland believe they’ve found one of the most contaminated killer whales on the planet. They fear members of the orca’s pod may also have sky-high levels of chemicals in their bodies that render them infertile, scientists at Scotland’s Rural College said in a news release this week. New analysis of a deceased adult female killer whale, named Lulu by researchers, shows that the animal’s blubber contained some of the highest levels ever recorded of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, a toxic chemical once pervasive in electrical components. The researchers called Lulu the “Scottish killer whale most contaminated on the planet.” PCBs are banned in the U.K. and the U.S. due to toxicity. But because the chemical is resistant to extreme temperatures and pressures, it takes a long time to break down. PCBs still exist in the environment, and have been known to leach from landfills into groundwater, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Andrew Brownlow, head of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, told BBC News that the level of PCBs found in Lulu’s blubber was shockingly high ― an estimated 20 times the rate considered safe for cetaceans. High levels of the chemical are linked to poor health, including impaired immune function, infertility and increased susceptibility to cancers. “That puts her as one of the most contaminated animals on the planet in terms of PCB burden, and doe...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news