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!