Toxic Toll On Polar Bears From VOCs Becoming Worse - Times Of London

POLAR bears and other Arctic animals are being poisoned in their thousands by man-made chemicals, the wildlife charity WWF has said.
The chemicals are causing serious health problems for wildlife that dramatically reduces its chances of survival in the Arctic environment. Whales, seals and polar bears are among those found with heightened levels of chemicals in their bodies, according to the WWF report. Effects include suppressed immune systems, weakened and deformed skeletons, cancers, vitamin deficiency and changes in behaviour.

Elizabeth Salter Green, the director of WWF-UK’s toxics programme, said: “What we are seeing here is a mass contamination of Arctic wildlife. We believe it is making these animals less capable of surviving the harsh Arctic conditions and the impacts of climate change. The survival of wild animal populations is threatened.

“Chemical contamination of our environment is spiralling out of control because of poor global chemicals regulation. The Arctic ecosystem is being ravaged by chemicals.”

Chemicals found in Arctic mammals and birds include DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are widely banned but can remain locked in ice for decades. Among those in use today and found contaminating the wildlife are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), used in non-stick coatings for saucepans, which have been linked to neonatal mortality and respiratory problems. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), widely used as flame retardants, are also found in high levels.

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