How does marine pollution affect whales and other ocean animals?
A. While the overall impact of pollution on the marine environment is unknown, contaminants introduced by rivers, coastal runoff, ocean dumping and various other activities are beginning to take their toll on the oceans. More than 80% of all marine pollution originates from land-based sources which are primarily industrial, agricultural and urban. Whale populations are coming under increasing stress from pollution, eutrophication and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination. PCBs are one of many man-made chemicals used in the production of plastics and styrofoams- common components of beach trash. Mass die offs of cetaceans thought to be related to PCBs and other environmental factors have been increasing in the last decade. For instance, an increasing number of deaths of Beluga whales (a species of white whale found predominantly in northern latitudes) have been associated with pollutants like PCBs. In many instances, the concentration of PCBs found in the tissue of Beluga whales
