Irish killer whales have 300 times more body contaminants

PCBs were industrial chemicals banned more than a decade ago after

They have been found to affect the health of both people. They also decompose very slowly and accumulate in the bodies of marine mammals.

After collecting skin biopsies from 50 killer whales in Iceland, researchers found significant differences in contaminant concentrations and profiles.

Killer whales that had a mixed dietPCB concentrations were on average 9 times higher than in killer whales, which fed primarily on fish. Researchers say future assessments of the health of orca populations must take into account a factor that has previously been overlooked: individual differences in food sources, which may lead to increased health risks. 

Killer whales are top marine predators, and because they are at the top of the food web, they often feed on the most contaminated food. 

Melissa McKinney, Associate Professor in the McGill Department of Natural Sciences and Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change and Environmental Stressors

Next, scientists are going to estimate the share of marinemammals in the diet of Icelandic and other North Atlantic killer whales. And also to collect a large set of data on contaminants in killer whales throughout the Atlantic Ocean,

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