Toxics in Harbor Seals
This indicator describes the presence and effect of persistent bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs) in harbor seals and in the fish they eat. PBTs are chemicals that dissolve easily in animal fat and do not break down readily, causing them to build up or bioaccumulate in the food web.

References

The following links may provide helpful information and, with the exception of the US EPA, are located outside the EPA.gov domain.

1. Georgia Basin Puget Sound Ecosystem Indicators Report. Environment Canada. 2002. <http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/spd/gbpsei/> and <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0201002.html>

2. Ross, P.S., Jeffries, S.J., Yunker, M. B., Addison, R.F., Ikonomou, M.G., and Calambokidis, J., 2004. "Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in British Columbia, Canada and Washington, USA, reveal a combination of local and global polychlorinated biphenyl, dioxin, and furan signals." Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 23:157-165

3. Ross, P.S. 2000. "Marine mammals as sentinels in ecological risk assessment. Human and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA)" 6:29-36

4. "Forage Fish." Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. <http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/forage/forage.htm>

5. Rayne, S., Ikonomou, M., Ellis, G., Barrett-Lennard, L., and Ross, P. 2004. "PBDEs, PBBs and PCNs in three communities of free-ranging killer whales (Orcinus orca) from the northeastern Pacific Ocean." Environ. Sci. & Tech. 38:4293-4299

6. U.S. Geological Survey: Biomagnification. <http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/biomagnification.html>

7. Renner, R. 2000. "What Fate for Brominated Fire Retardants?" Environ. Sci. & Tech.

8. Georgia Basin Puget Sound Ecosystem Indicators Report. Environment Canada. Website. <http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/spd/gbpsei/>

9. Ross, P., Jeffries, S., Cullon D., Ford, J. and Allen, H. 2005. "Emerging Concerns: flame retardants in the marine mammals of Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia." Proceedings of the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference. <http://www.engr.washington.edu/epp/psgb/2005psgb/2005proceedings/papers/B3_ROSS.pdf>. (PDF, 1pp. 58KB)

10. Puget Sound Action Team. State of the Sound. Puget Sound Update, 2004. <http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/StateSound2004/State_Sound_base.htm>

11. Cullon, D., Jeffries, S., and Ross, P. 2005. "POPs in the Diet of Harbor Seals Inhabiting Puget Sound, Washington, USA and the Strait of Georgia, BC: A Food Basket Approach." Env. Tox. & Chem., Vol. 24. 10:226

12. Cullon et al., 2005

13. Cullon et al., 2005

14. Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP) 2002. Puget Sound Action Team. <http://www.psat.wa.gov/Programs/PSAMP.htm>

15. O'Neill, S., West, J., Ylitalo, G. 2005. "A mult-species approach to evaluate the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the Puget Sound food web." Presented at the March 2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference. Seattle, WA <http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/05_proceedings/papers/B3_ONEIL.pdf>

16. PSAMP <http://www.psat.wa.gov/Programs/PSAMP.htm>

17. O'Neill et al., 2005

18. O'Neill, S., Ylitalo, G., West, J., Bolton, J., Sloan, C., and Krahn, M. 2006. "Regional patterns of persistent organic pollutants in five Pacific salmon species (Oncorhynchus spp) and their contributions to contaminant levels in northern and southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca)." 2006 Southern Resident Killer Whale Symposium. NOAA Fisheries Service Northwest Regional Office, Seattle. Extended Abstract

19. O'Neill, S. … 1998

20. O'Neill et al. 2006

21. Hites, R., Foran, J., Schwager, S., Knuth, B., Hamilton, M.C., and Carpenter, D. 2004. "Global Assessment of PBDEs in Farmed and Wild Salmon." Env. Sci. & Tech. Vol 38. 19:4945-4949

22. "High PCB Concentrations in Free-Ranging Pacific Killer Whales, Ornicus orca: Effects of Age, Sex and Dietary Preference." 2000. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol 40, 6: 504-515

23. Rayne et al., 2004

24. Birnbaum, L. S. and Staskal, D. F., 2004. "Brominated Flame Retardants: Cause For Concern?" Environmental Health Perspectives. National Institutes of Health. Vol. 112, No. 1

25. Environmental Working Group. 2004. "Brominated Flame Retardants: Persistent Global Pollutants." <http://www.ewg.org/reports/inthedust>

26. "PBDE Frequently Asked Questions." Washington State Department of Ecology. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/pbt/pbde/PBDE_faq.htm>

27. Birnbaum et al., 2004

28. "Washington State Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Chemical Action Plan." Final Plan. 2006. Washington State Department of Ecology Publication No. 05-07-048. Washington State Department of Health publication 334-079. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0507048.pdf> (PDF, 328pp. 1.32MB)

29. de Wit, Cynthia A., 2002. An overview of brominated flame retardants in the environment. Chemosphere 46 583-624. Elsevier Science Ltd.

30. Siddiqi, M., Laessig, R., and Reed, K., 2003. "Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs): New Pollutants or Old Diseases." Clinical Medicine & Research. 2003 October 1(4): 281-290

31. Costner, P., Thorpe, B. and McPherson, A. 2005. "Environmental Working Group Report: In the Dust and Sick of Dust." Safer Products Project, a project of Clean Production Action. <http://safer-products.org/downloads/Dust%20Report.pdf>

32. Washington State Department of Ecology, 2006

33. Washington State Department of Ecology, 2006

34. Ross, P., Vos, J., Birnbaum, L., and Osterhaus, A. 2000. PCBs Are a Health Risk for Humans and Wildlife. Science. Vol 289, September 15, 2000. <http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/289/5486/1878d>

35. Rayne, et al.

36. Environmental Protection Agency, "New Chemicals Program". and the "PBT Profiler". Homepage.<www.epa.gov/oppt/newchems/> and <http://www.pbtprofiler.net>

37. Pollution and Toxics. Homepage. Sightline Institute. (formerly Northwest Environment Watch) <http://www.sightline.org/research/pollution/res_pubs>

38. "Bodyburden: The Pollution in People." Environmental Working Group. <http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden1/es.php>

39. "Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals." Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Environmental Health. 2005. NCEH Pub. 05-0570. <http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/3rd/pdf/thirdreport.pdf> (PDF, 475pp. 3 MB)

40. Hites, R. 2004. "Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in the Environment and in People: A Meta-Analysis of Concentrations." Env. Sci. & Tech. Vol. 38, 4:945-956

41. Environmental Working Group. 2005. "In the Dust: Brominated Fire Retardants: Persistent Global Pollutants". <http://www.ewg.org/reports/inthedust/part1.php>

42. Jahnke et al., 2005 and Trasande and Landrigan 2004. "Cited in Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns." <http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/part3.php>

43. Centers for Disease Control. 2005. "Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals." NCEH Pub. No 05-0570 <http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/3rd/pdf/thirdreport.pdf> (PDF, 475pp. 3 MB)

44. Institute for Children's Environmental Health. <http://www.iceh.org>

45. Washington State Department of Ecology. 2006

46. "Management of Toxic Substances: Track 1." Environment Canada.<http://www.ec.gc.ca/toxics/TSMP/EN/track1.cfm> and Washington State Department of Ecology, 2006

47. See Canada Gazette Part I. May 8, 2004. Vol. 138, No. 19

48. BFRs: International ESH Directives Can and Do Affect Boeing. Boeing Environmental Tech Notes, February 2004. Vol. 9, No.1. <http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/doingbiz/environmental/TechNotes/TechNotes2004-02.pdf> (PDF, 4pp. 313 KB)

49. Washington Toxics Coalition. Homepage. <http://www.watoxics.org> and Washington State Department of Ecology, 2006. Appendix A

50. Canadian Environmental Law Association. Homepage. <http://www.cela.ca/>

51. "Fact Sheet: PCBEs." Health Canada. <http://hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2004/2004_pbde-edpb_e.html>

52. For information about PBDEs in fish, see <http://hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/pbde-edpb/pbde_fish-edpb_poisson_e.html>

53. "PBDEs: What they are and what you can do." Washington State Department of Health: <http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/pbde/pbde.htm> or Within Reach: <http://www.hmhbwa.org>

54. Corporate Environmental Strategy: International Journal for Sustainable Business. Vol. 12, Issue 1. 2005. <http://www.cesjournal.com>

55. Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center: <http://www.pprc.org> or (206) 352-2050. You can also join a listserv devoted to this topic at <http://www.nerc.org/eppnet.html> or (802) 254-3636.

56. Evan-Agnew, R. 2004. "A Policy Framework for Adopting the Precautionary Principle." American Lung Association of Washington.

57. Global Environment Management Initiative. Homepage. <http://www.gemi.org>

58. Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies. Homepage. <http://www.ceres.org>

59. The Alliance for Environmental Innovation. Homepage. <http://www.environmentaldefense.org/corporate_innovation.cfm>

60. Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability. Homepage. <http://www.nbis.org>

61. Liroff, R. Protecting Public Health, Increasing Profits and Promoting Innovation By Benchmarking Governance of Chemicals in Products. 2005. Rich.Liroff@wwfus.org

62. The Green Money Journal. Homepage. <http://www.csrwire.com/greenmoney/>

63. EPA's Design For Environment Program. Homepage. <http://www.epa.gov/dfe/>
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Ross PS, De Swart RL, Addison RF, Van Loveren H, Vos JG, Osterhaus, 1996 ADME. Contaminant-induced immunotoxicity in harbour seals: wildlife at risk? Toxicology 112:157-169.

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