Pollutants in the Arctic

In the seminar “Pollution in the Arctic: How Physiology can be Used in Ecological and Toxicological Studies”, Geir Gabrielsen from the Norwegian Polar Institute spoke about the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and the effects of heating in particular regions. He spoke about the effects of pollutants, especially POPs such as PCBs, DDT, and Chlordane, and bioaccumulation of PCBs in sea birds and animals because of the presence of the PCBs in seawater and krill. He also discussed a new pollutant, hydroxylated PBDEs, which are of high concern. PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenylethers, are flame retardant chemicals used in foams, plastics, and fabrics. The EPA describes the unintended consequences of using these chemicals, which have now been discovered to contribute to thyroid and liver toxicity when they persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms. ( http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde/ ). Another article ( http://www.mindfully.org/Heritage/2003/Polar-Bear-Poisoning5jul03.htm ) describes the effects of PCBs, pesticides, and the newly worrying PBDEs in arctic environments, where they have am especially strong impact on polar bears. Because polar bears are at the top of the food chain and have thick layers of body fat, these compounds can reach dangerous levels and accumulate in their bodies due to biomagnification. The toxins are also transferred to newborn polar bears through their mother’s milk, which occurs at a time when exposure to the chemicals could be especially harmful to their development.