Toxic metals threaten whales — ‘I don't see any future for whale species except extinction’
By ARTHUR MAX (AP)
24 June 2010 AGADIR, Morocco — American scientists who shot nearly 1,000 sperm whales with tissue-sampling darts discovered stunningly high levels of toxic and heavy metals in the animals that they say could affect the health of both ocean life and the millions who eat seafood. A report Thursday noted high levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and titanium in the mammals, according to samples taken over five years. Analysis of cells from the sperm whales showed that pollution is reaching the farthest corners of the oceans, from deep in the polar region to “the middle of nowhere” in the equatorial regions, said biologist Roger Payne, founder and president of Ocean Alliance that conducted the research. The whales travel on voyages up to 87,000 miles (140,000 kilometers). “The entire ocean life is just loaded with a series of contaminants, most of which have been released by human beings,” Payne said in an interview on the sidelines of the International Whaling Commission’s annual meeting. “These contaminants, I think, are threatening the human food supply. They certainly are threatening the whales and the other animals that live in the ocean,” he said. Ultimately, he said, the metals could contaminate fish, which are a primary source of animal protein for 1 billion people. “You could make a fairly tight argument to say that it is the single greatest health threat that has ever faced the human species. I suspect this will shorten lives, if it turns out that this is what’s going on,” he said. … Payne, 75, is best known for his 1968 discovery and recordings of songs by humpback whales, and for finding that some whale species can communicate with each other over long distances. … The original objective of the voyage was to measure chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants, and the study of metals was an afterthought. The researchers were stunned with the results. “That’s where the shocking, sort of draw-dropping concentrations exist,” Payne said. … “The biggest surprise was chromium,” Payne said. “That’s an absolute shocker. Nobody was even looking for it.” … Payne said whales absorb the contaminants and pass them on to the next generation when a female nurses her calf. “What she’s actually doing is dumping her lifetime accumulation of that fat-soluble stuff into her baby,” he said, and each generation passes on more to the next. The consequences could be horrific for both whale and man, he said. “I don’t see any future for whale species except extinction. This not on anybody’s radar, no government’s radar anywhere, and I think it should be,” he said.
