Polar bears are being exposed to TOXIC ‘forever’ chemicals as they are released from melting Arctic ice as a result of global warming, study warns
- Toxic chemicals in non-stick pans and cosmetics are threatening polar bears
- Substances are released by manufacturing sites and carried to Arctic by wind
- They then accumulate in the ice before being released into seawater as it melts
- It contaminates algae, which zooplankton feed on, and travels up the food chain
Polar bears are being exposed to toxic ‘forever’ chemicals used in non-stick pans and cosmetics as a result of global warming, a study has found.
High concentrations of the synthetic substances are being released into the atmosphere by manufacturing sites and carried by the wind from the UK and other highly-populated areas to the Arctic.
They then accumulate in the ice before being released and leaking into seawater as the ice melts in the region’s warming temperatures.
Researchers said there was evidence the chemicals were disrupting the hormone systems of polar bears after being consumed via their prey.
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This graphic shows how ‘forever’ chemicals are being released from manufacturing plants in highly-populated areas and carried by the wind before accumulating in Arctic ice. Once the ice melts because of global warming the chemicals leak into seawater and contaminate algae, which is then eaten by zooplankton and travels up the food chain to seals and polar bears
The poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which do no break down in the environment, were discovered in brine on the underside of the ice in a study led by researchers from Lancaster University.
This is the main habitat for organisms at the bottom of the marine food web such as algae. Zooplankton feed on the algae and are in turn eaten by fish and shrimp, which are a source of food for seals — the prey of polar bears.
Scientists found the PFAS chemicals at up to double the concentration observed in the North Sea.
This is despite the sample site in the Barents Sea being thousands of miles away from the heavily-populated areas of Europe.
Brine — highly saline water — in Arctic ice was found to increase the accumulation of PFAS, which are also used in waterproof clothes and fireproofing processes.
Researchers said there was evidence the chemicals were disrupting the hormone systems of polar bears after being consumed via their prey.
Seabirds are also at risk, while PFAS have been shown to be toxic to humans and linked to a range of health issues, including kidney cancer, testicular cancer, hypertension, thyroid disease, low birth weight and immunotoxicity in children.
As well as manufacturing sites, the chemicals are also being released by wastewater treatment plants, where droplets have been contaminated with PFAS washed off materials used in homes and workplaces.
At risk: Polar bears are being exposed to toxic ‘forever’ chemicals used in non-stick pans and cosmetics as a result of global warming, a study has found
The sea ice in the Arctic used to remain frozen for several years but is now melting each summer because the region is warming at more than twice the global average rate.
‘This one-year ice contains a lot of mobile brine that interacts with the overlying snowpack and can serve to concentrate pollutants like PFAS, which are usually found at very low levels,’ said Crispin Halsall, co-author of the study and a professor at Lancaster University.
‘Unfortunately, with earlier and more erratic thaw events, this can lead to the rapid release of the stored chemicals resulting in high concentrations in the waters surrounding the ice floes.’
He added: ‘It is only through this type of investigative science that we can understand the dynamics of pollutant behaviour and identify key hazards, particularly those related to climate change.
‘In turn this can drive international legislation so that chemicals that exhibit this type of behaviour are banned.’
The study has been published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
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