Over the past half century, scientists have uncovered a multitudeof risks to wildlife and humans posed by toxic chemicals. Some ofthe most notorious pollutants, such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)and DDT (dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane), are the subject of phaseoutsor tight restrictions. While a handful of toxic substances are slowly disappear-ing from the environment, new research reveals that many others could be evenmore harmful than these legendary chemicals.

Since the early 1990s, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has studied the impacts of toxicchemicals on biodiversity. We have found that wildlife, people, and entire ecosystemsare threatened by chemicals that can alter sexual, neurological, and behavioral develop-ment; impair reproduction; and undermine immune systems. This fact sheet summarizeshighlights from our recent report, Causes for Concern: Chemicals and Wildlife, in which wedetail scientific research, conclusions, and action plans to stem the tide of toxic contamina-tion. Activists, decision makers, and consumers can use WWF’s review of recent science toillustrate the magnitude of the problem, the ongoing threat some chemicals pose to wildlifeand people, and the need for improved regulation of chemicals.

New Causes for ConcernMany chemicals in wide use today areassumed to be safe by regulatory agencies,consumers, and other “downstream users.”Yet some chemicals used in clothing, packag-ing, computer equipment, toys, and other com-mon products are contaminating the environ-ment and can have dangerous effects. Fourwidely used classes of chemicals demonstratethe current policy failure and the need forimproved protection: brominated flame retar-dants, perfluorinated compounds, phthalates,and phenols.

Brominated Flame Retardants

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs)–used infurniture, building material, and clothing toprevent flammability–are being found atincreasing levels in living organisms and havebecome a serious environmental concern.Research indicates that concentrations ofBFRs in Great Lakes herring gulls are steadilyincreasing. BFRs have also been found insperm whales, ringed seals from the Canadian

WWF’s report, Causes for Concern:Chemicals and Wildlife, is available online atwww.worldwildlife.org/toxics or by emailingtoxics@wwfus.org for a printed copy.

Tainted by Toxics

Wild animals around the worldare exposed to dangerouschemicals, the impacts of whichare documented in a continuallygrowing body of scientificresearch.

• Polar bears accumulate per-sistent chemicals such asPCBs, which reduce the abilityof the immune system to com-bat common infections.

• Peregrine falcon eggs are con-taminated with high levels offlame retardant chemicals,which may have impacts simi-lar to the well-documenteddevelopmental effects of PCBsand DDT.

• Beluga whales contaminatedwith PCBs, DDT, polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs), and heavy metalshave developed a variety ofcancers, even though cancersare generally very rare incetaceans.

• Bottlenose and striped dol-phins have been contaminatedby perfluorinated compounds,which are used in productsranging from shampoos tostain protectors for carpet.

• Mollusks exposed to lowdoses of bisphenol A, a com-pound used to make polycar-bonate plastic, have developedmalformed genitals. Many commonly used chemicals end up in our

oceans and contaminate dolphins (pictured) andother marine mammals. Existing laws do notadequately protect wildlife or people from toxicchemical threats.

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Wildlife at Risk: Emerging Chemical Threats

Arctic, mussels and fish in Norwegian waters,harbor seals in the San Francisco Bay, andother aquatic wildlife.

High levels of several BFRs have been foundrecently in the eggs of peregrine falcons. Theeggs of falcons living in the wild had signifi-cantly higher concentrations of the BFR deca-BDE than did the eggs of captive fal-cons. The fact that deca-BDE was found ineggs demonstrates that the chemical can crosscell membranes, contrary to what scientistshad thought previously. The peregrine studyrepresents the first time that the deca formula-tion has been found in wildlife. Studies haveshown that certain BFRs are highly toxic tocrustaceans and can affect development, neu-rological function, and behavior in mammals.

Perfluorinated Compounds

Another recent example of potentially haz-ardous chemicals in consumer-based productsinvolves a class of perfluorinated compounds,which includes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).Because of their ability to resist heat and repelboth water and oil, perfluorinated compoundshave been widely used since the 1950s as sur-factants and emulsifiers and in commercialproducts, including stain or water protectorsfor carpet, auto interiors, and leather; foodpackaging; lubricants; floor polishes; sham-poos; and dental cleaners. In addition, PFOA

is a manufacturing aid used to produce well-known brands like Teflon and Gortex. Thesecompounds are extremely persistent: There isno evidence that they ever fully degrade.

In 2000, 3M, the primary global manu-facturer of many perfluorinated compounds,announced plans to phase out the perfluoro-octanyl chemistry that underpinned theirextremely successful Scotchgard products.Under pressure from the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, 3M took this action afterlearning that PFOS and PFOA were found inblood samples from the U.S. population and inwildlife across the globe.

Perfluorinated compounds are contaminatingwhales, bluefin tuna, swordfish, cormorants,and bottlenose, common, and striped dolphinsin the Mediterranean; ringed and gray seals,sea eagles, and Atlantic salmon in the Baltic;polar bears in the Arctic; dolphins in theGanges River in India; albatrosses fromMidway Atoll in the Pacific; turtles in the

United States; gulls in Korea; cormorants inCanada; and fish in Japan. Research hasshown that PFOS exposure can lead to loss ofappetite, interrupted estrus cycles, and elevat-ed stress hormone levels. PFOS was found toaccumulate in brain tissue, particularly thehypothalamus, suggesting that PFOS can crossthe blood-brain barrier and may interfere withreproductive hormones. PFOS and PFOA are

Though they live in remote and seemingly pris-tine arctic environments, polar bears accumulatepersistent chemicals which can impair theirimmune and reproductive systems.

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Akin to the canary in a coal mine, contaminatedbirds serve as a warning about the harmful effectsof chemicals that are part of our everyday lives.Birds at the top of the food chain, such as herringgulls (pictured) and bald eagles, are especially sus-ceptible to chemicals that persist in the environ-ment and bioaccumulate up through the food web.

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considered carcinogens, and studies indicatethat they can damage the immune system andaffect the development of the brain, liver,spleen, thymus, adrenal gland, kidney,prostate, and testes.

Phthalates

The third class of chemicals that should raiseconcern is phthalates, a group of chemicalsused as softeners in a variety of plastic prod-ucts. Products containing phthalates includemedical devices (intravenous tubing, bloodbags), construction material (insulation ofcables and wires, tubes, flooring, wallpapers,roof covering, sealants), car products (carundercoating, car seats), and children’s prod-ucts (teething rings, squeeze toys, clothing).They are also used in some lacquers, paints,adhesives, fillers, inks, and cosmetics.

Concern about children’s exposure to phtha-lates prompted the European Union (EU) to ban six types of phthalate softeners inpolyvinyl chloride (PVC) toys designed to bemouthed by children under three years of age.

Some phthalates appear to exert endocrine dis-rupting effects and can interfere with the malehormone androgen. Some researchers haveproposed that the anti-androgenic propertiesof phthalates may be linked to testicular dys-genesis syndrome in males, the manifestationsof which include birth defects, a low spermcount, and testicular cancer. Other researchhas demonstrated a variety of reproductivemalformations.

Phenols

There is mounting evidence that the widelyused phenol compounds bisphenol A (BPA)

and nonylphenol are endocrine disruptingchemicals. BPA is used to make polycarb-onate plastic, which is used in food packag-ing, computer and electronics equipment,compact disks, crash helmets, and other con-sumer products. Nonylphenolic compoundshave been used in degreasing solutions andleather and textile processing, aswell as in deicing fluid, paints,plastics, and pesticides.

Fish are susceptible to theendocrine disrupting effects ofboth nonylphenol and BPA.Exposure to these chemicals cancause male fish to make vitel-logenin (an estrogen-regulatedprotein produced by female,egg-laying vertebrates and notnormally produced by males),and can also affect the formationof sperm. Aquatic invertebratessuch as freshwater algae andmollusks seem particularly sen-sitive to these chemicals. Studieshave linked BPA exposure tointerference with egg andembryo production and mal-formed genitals in mollusks, andhave linked nonylphenol expo-sure to altered sex ratios andhermaphrodism in oysters.

Lessons from the PastEvidence continues to mountagainst already banned or restrict-ed chemicals, which are the causeof widespread wildlife contami-nation. This toxic legacy is awarning: We need to prevent other hazardouschemicals from compounding the damage.

Even low levels of chemicals can have seriouseffects. Snails exposed to very low doses of thechemical bisphenol A can suffer dramatic repro-ductive system malformations.

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WWF is calling on governments to phase out andban chemicals that are threatening current andfuture generations of wildlife throughout theworld–from seals (pictured) in the Baltic Sea toalbatrosses in Midway Atoll.

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Promising Initiatives to Improve ProtectionsExisting regulations that incorporate an“innocent until proven guilty” approach tochemicals are neither comprehensive noreffective in protecting wildlife and humanhealth. For most chemicals in commercialuse, basic information concerning theiradverse effects is not available. Fun-damental policy changes are needed toshift the burden of proof onto the compa-nies that profit from making and market-ing chemicals.

Ongoing reform efforts in the EU and pro-gressive initiatives in some U.S. statesdemonstrate the feasibility of improvingoutdated regulations. The EU’s proposedREACH system (Registration, Evaluation,and Authorization of Chemicals), whichwould place the responsibility for provinghealth and environmental safety on thecompanies that manufacture, use, andimport industrial chemicals, is the mostpromising international regulatoryresponse to these problems. REACH pro-vides a valuable model that could helpU.S. policy makers, businesses, and con-sumers confront chemical contaminationand improve the way chemicals are man-aged. Meanwhile, state and local initiativesdemonstrate how progress can be madein advance of national action.

For more on REACH and WWF’s DetoXCampaign, visit www.panda.org/detox.

Because of their persistent and bioaccumu-lative properties, organochlorines such asPCBs and DDT tend to concentrate in the tis-sues of animals at the top of the food web. Asa top predator in the Arctic, polar bears storeup the highest doses and are an example ofone of the species most threatened by chemi-cals. Their periods of fasting or starving dur-ing ice melts and breeding may mobilize thetoxic chemicals they retain. PCBs can reducepolar bears’ ability to combat common infec-tions, posing a particular threat to these long-living, slowly reproducing animals that havefew offspring. PCBs may also be linked toreproductive problems and genital abnormali-ties among female bears.

Marine mammals such as seals, whales, anddolphins are victims of well-documentedchemical exposures and impacts. The repro-ductive and immune effects of PCB contami-nation are believed to have contributed tomass deaths of common seals in Europe’sWadden Sea and the decline of Baltic ringedand grey seals. Beluga whales in the St.Lawrence River estuary are contaminated witha variety of heavy metals, PCBs, and DDTcompounds. Researchers studying carcasses ofstranded belugas found that more than a quar-ter of the animals suffered from cancer, eventhough tumors and cancer are generally veryrare in cetaceans. The overall cancer rate washigher than that reported for any other wildanimals, and the researchers found three casesof breast cancer among the belugas–the firstever reported for cetaceans.

ConclusionAs chemical production increases globally,wildlife contamination has become even morepervasive, and troubling health threats are evermore apparent. Urgent action is needed tophase out the most dangerous chemicals.Working with government experts and otherenvironmental and public health organizations,WWF is promoting reform initiatives at thestate, national, and international levels thatwould help protect wildlife and people, pro-mote innovation of safer alternatives, andenhance environmental accountability in glo-bal trade. We are encouraged by the growingnumber of activists and citizens who are

engaged on chemical issues, and we are confi-dent that a broader understanding of the scien-tific basis of chemical contamination willaccelerate reform efforts.

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Collage: Indian tiger–© WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey; black rhinoceros–© WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey;panda–© WWF-Gerry Ellis; humpback whale–© WWF-Steve Morello; African elephant–© WWF-Howard Buffet;Klamath-Siskiyou–© WWF-Galen Rowell. Report cover images: Adelie penguin–© WWF-Canon/Sylvia Rubli;rhesus macaque–© WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey; waved albatross–© WWF-Canon/Udo Hirsch; harbour seal–© WWF/Jan Van de Kam; sperm whale–© WWF-Canon/Pieter Lagendyk

World Wildlife Fund

1250 24th Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20037

Phone: 202-293-4800

Fax: 202-293-9211

www.worldwildlife.org

Beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River estuaryare subjected to multiple and severe chemicalthreats from the highly industrialized GreatLakes region.

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WWF Mission Statement

WWF’s mission is the conservation ofnature. Using the best available scientificknowledge and advancing that knowledgewhere we can, we work to preserve thediversity and abundance of life on Earth andthe health of ecological systems by

• protecting natural areas and wild popu-lations of plants and animals, includingendangered species;

• promoting sustainable approaches to theuse of renewable natural resources; and

• promoting more efficient use of resourcesand energy and the maximum reduction ofpollution.

We are committed to reversing the degrada-tion of our planet’s natural environment andto building a future in which human needsare met in harmony with nature. We recog-nize the critical relevance of human num-bers, poverty, and consumption patterns tomeeting these goals.

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