Marine Pollution:The Toxic Legacy of Our Consumer Culture
Dr. Susan D. ShawMarine & Environmental Research Institute School of Public Health, University at Albany, NY
GEO Blue Planet SymposiumCollege Park, MD May 31-June 2, 2017
Greenhouse Gases Convergence of Stress
Alteration of climate & ocean chemistry Oceans warming (store 9/10 of heat trapped by greenhouse
gases), melting ice at poles Acidification (CO2) = loss of corals by 2050 Toxicity increasing – increasing pollutant distribution, potency
(metabolism) Species extinctions Sea level rise, extreme weather, human displacement
Glenbow Archives NA-5600-6671a
“Living Better With Chemistry.”DDT c. 1949
Petrochemicals and plastics post WWII
Dilution Is The Solution
© Xanthe Rivett / CAFNEC / WWF-Aus
The Plastic Sea
By 2050 the oceans could contain more plastic than fish by weight
8 billion pieces of plastic enter the oceans every year
The Problem of Plastics
46,000 pieces per sq mile of ocean Degrade to microplastics, last 100+ years Contain and adsorb toxic chemicals (PCBs,
phthalates, flame retardants) Eaten by fish, then peope, effects uncertain
Entanglement in Plastic
Flame Retardants (PBDEs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers)
Clothing, textiles, mattresses, upholstery, TVs, computers, plastics, electronics, building materials, house dust and food Endocrine disruptors, IQ loss in children, cancer
Stain-and water resistant coatings on food wrappers, outdoor wear, non-stick pans, also in fire-fighting foams Endocrine disruptors, cancer
Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs)
Newly discovered flame retardants in Mariana Trench amphipods
Ringed seal (Pusa hispida )Riget et al. 2006, Johansen et al. 2004
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina )Shaw et al. 2008, Meng et al. 2009, Law et al. 2003
Sea lion (Zalophus californianus)Meng et al. 2009, Stapleton et al. 2006
Harp seal (P. groenlandica)Johansen et al. 2004
Flame Retardants in Pinnipeds
Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus)Ikonomou & Addison 2008
No. elephant seal (M. angustirostris)Meng et al. 2009
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
AsiaEurope
Canada
US
Greenland
CA Sea Lion (55000 ng/g)CA Sea Lion (5800 ng/g)
Harbor Seal, SF Bay, CA
Sum PBDE (ng/g lw)
Harbor Seal, Wadden Sea
Harbor Seal, St Lawrence Estuary Canada
Harbor Seal (3700 ng/g)NW Atlantic
PBDE Levels in PinnipedsNo. Fur Seal, Japan coast
Ringed Seal
Blubber
ng/g lipid
2000 ng/g lipid wt
PBDEs in North American Pinnipeds55000
3700
5800
Ringed sealGreenland
NW Atlantic harbor seal
So. California sea lionPacific harbor sealNo. elephant seal
Gray seal
Pacific harbor seal Hooded seal
California sea lion(range 3430-194000)
California sea lion
PBDE levels in California sea lions (max 194000 ng/g lw) highest reported in wildlife to date
Killer whale (Orinicus orca)Rayne et al. 2002, Krahn et al. 2007
Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)Law et al. 2003, Lebeuf et al. 2004
Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)Law et al. 2002, Beineke et al. 2005
White-sided dolphin (L. obliquidens)Tuerk et al. 2005
Flame Retardants in Cetaceans
Bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus)Fair et al. 2007, Johnson-Restrepo et al. 2005
Striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba)Isobe et al. 2009
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Asia
Europe
CanadaAustralia
US
Sum PBDE (ng/g lw)
Killer Whale, CA coast(13000 ng/g)
Killer Whale, Puget Sd (6800 ng/g)Bottlenose Dolphin SC(6800 ng/g)
Bottlenose Dolphin UK(7700 ng/g)
Humpback Dolphin, Hong Kong
Brazil(liver)
PBDE Levels in Cetaceans
Killer Whale, Alaska
Bottlenose dolphin, Florida
Beluga Whale, St. Lawrence Estuary
Bottlenose dolphin, Texas Gulf of Mexico
Harbor porpoise, UK
ng/g lipid
Blubber
PBDE Levels in North American Cetaceans
Residents
Transients
Offshore
2000 ng/g lipid wt
13000
Residents
6800
6800
3100
Killer whale
Bottlenose dolphin
Harbor porpoise
White-sided dolphin
Beluga whale
Killer whales
High PBDE levels in transient killer whales (CA coast) due to consumption of contaminated marine mammals (sea lions)
0 20 40 60 80 100
Asia
Europe
North America
Central America
Haojiang, South China
(190 ng/g)
Quebec, Canada
California, US
Tenn/Washington, US
Urban site, NicaraguaRural site, Nicaragua
PBDE Levels in Human Blood
ng/g lipid
PBDEs Increasing in North America 1970-2005
Data: Schecter et al. 2005, Ikonomou et al 2002, 2006, Rayne et al 2003, Johnson-Restrepo et al 2005, Elliott et al 2005, Lebeuf et al 2004, She et al 2002, Shaw et al 2008
0
1
10
100
1000
10000
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Sum
PB
DE
(ng/
g lw
) ..
dungeness crabwhitefishbull sharkcormorantgreat blue heronbeluga whalebottlenose dolphinharbor seal-CAharbor seal-Canadaharbor seal-NE UShuman-US
Doubling time~2-5 years
Figure: Shaw and Kannan Rev Env Health 2009
Seawater2 ng/kg (ppt)
Plankton3,000 ng/kg
Cod300,000 ng/kg
Seals3,000,000 ng/kg
Polar Bears10,000,000 ng/kg
Humans??? ng/kg
Biomagnification of PCBs
Since 1930, there have been 196 marine mammal mortality events worldwide
Marine Mammal Die Offs Since 1980
Like marine mammals, we all carry hundreds of toxic chemicals in our bodies that are linked with endocrine disruption, cancer, birth defects, immune suppression and reduced IQ in children.
Toxic Legacy
Extreme Exposure
Inuit children are immune suppressed by toxic chemicals in mother’s milk
Offshore Drilling: Risky Business
THE DIVE
Chemical dispersants + oil = toxic mixture
Need image of dead dolphin on beach
Chemical pneumonia, liver damage, sterility, skin lesions
Decimation of Gulf of Mexico Dolphins
temporary paralysis
blood in urine
heart palpitations
kidney damage
liver damage
migraines
multiple chemical sensitivities
burning and lesions
skin lesions
seizures
respiratory system damage
rapid weight loss
memory loss nervous system damage
Public Health Crisis
Chemical pneumonia
Climate Change Fast-Tracking, Adding to Pollution Stress
Marine species moving toward the poles Decimation of corals, marine nurseries Habitat & food web displacement Pollution spreading, released from ice melt Species extinctions Sea level rise, extreme weather, widespread
starvation, disease
Melting Ice Releasing Stored Pollutants (PCBs, PBDEs)
Critically Endangered:Yantze river dolphinVaquita, or Gulf of California harbor porpoise
Endangered:Galapagos fur sealAustralian sea lionNew Zealand sea lionGalapagos sea lionMediterranean Monk SealHawaiian monk sealCaspian sealSea otterMarine otterNorth Atlantic right whaleNorth Pacific right whaleSei whaleBlue whaleFin whaleSouth Asian river dolphinHector’s dolphin
Vulnerable:Northern fur sealWalrusHooded sealPolar bearSperm whaleFrancicanaIrrawaddy dolphinAtlantic humpback dolphinIndo-Pacific finless porpoiseNarrow ridged finless porpoiseAmazonian manateeAmerican manateeWest African manateeDugong
Marine Mammals Facing Extinction
IUCN 2016
“We are the asteroid now.”– Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction, An Unnatural History
“It is mind-boggling to me that this insignificant speck of humanity, all 7 billion of us,… have managed to take a precious resource, our life blood, and bring it to the edge of doom.”
– Dave Gallo, Oceanographer, Explorer, Robotics Pioneer
Earth at a crossroads
Technology = transparency (better information, we see the changes)Ocean governance still challenging
- mining, fishing, vessel trackingPrivate sector incentives
- overfishing - incentive for plastic removal?
Paris Climate Agreement ??Will we take the necessary actions in time to sustain marine mammals – and ourselves?
Humans have caused this impending demise of species and we are the only species with the capacity to fix it.
Thank you for your attention!