AGADIR, Morocco â Sperm whales feeding even in the most remote reaches of Earth's oceans have built up stunningly high levels of toxic and heavy metals, according to American scientists who say the findings spell danger not only for marine life but for the millions of humans who depend on seafood.
A report released Thursday noted high levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and titanium in tissue samples taken by dart gun from nearly 1,000 whales over five years. From polar areas to equatorial waters, the whales ingested pollutants that may have been produced by humans thousands of miles away, the researchers said.
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, said biologist Roger Payne, founder and president of Ocean Alliance, the research and conservation group that produced the report.
Full story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_sc/whaling
A report released Thursday noted high levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and titanium in tissue samples taken by dart gun from nearly 1,000 whales over five years. From polar areas to equatorial waters, the whales ingested pollutants that may have been produced by humans thousands of miles away, the researchers said.
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, said biologist Roger Payne, founder and president of Ocean Alliance, the research and conservation group that produced the report.
Full story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_sc/whaling
