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May 17, 2005

The Tainted Food Chain Of The Arctic

Sadly, there doesn't appear to be any such thing as pristine wilderness anymore. Even in the far reaches of the Arctic, the pollution we make is having a serious impact on the wildlife and the people. It's also interesting to note that most animals, as well as the people of the Arctic, rely on large fat stores in order to live comfortably in the cold environment. It's a sad fact that many hazardous pollutants accumulate in fat cells. Also, these accumulations can be passed from adults to their young as well, when you think of the super-rich and fatty milk that baby walruses, elephant seals, polar bears, seals and whales get through nursing.

The more you think about this, the more disturbing the problem becomes. Pollutants are continually going into the water, and the little fish are continually becoming contaminated. The larger fish feed on the smaller fish, and the predators like the walruses and whales feed on the larger fish. Since many of these pollutants are cumulative, this problem isn't going to get better without drastic measures.

Let's just hope it's not already too late.

Sadly, it may be the human aspect of this story that will spur people into changing. At the top of the Arctic food chain are the native Arctic peoples like the Eskimos, Inuits. They hunt the Arctic predators like the whales and now they, too, are exhibiting symptoms of pollution sickness.

For many, the Arctic is synonymous with a pristine, albeit harsh, environment. So it is an unwelcome irony, perhaps, that the region's indigenous peoples and animal predators are reportedly among the most chemically contaminated on Earth.

Various studies in recent decades have found that animals from polar bears to killer whales, not to mention native peoples like the Eskimos, or Inuit, carry unusually high levels of human-made chemicals in their bodies.

These toxins include industrial pollutants like dioxin and PCBs, which gained notoriety during the 1970s, and newer compounds like those now used as flame retardants and stain guards.

The chemicals reach the Arctic borne north by wind and ocean currents.

More at: Toxins Accumulate in Arctic Peoples, Animals, Study Says

Posted by sorsha at May 17, 2005 5:45 PM