Researchers at UBC say they have found sea otters that test positive for PFAS, also known as forever chemicals.
“They’re called forever chemicals because they are really, really stable in the environment,” Dana Price, researcher at UBC, told CityNews.
These human-made chemicals are found in many common household products and have been linked to serious health issues in humans and now sea otters in B.C.
The testing involved analyzing liver and skeletal muscle samples from 11 dead sea otters.
Price says the results were unfortunate.
“PFAS are present in all the sea otters that we looked at, and that’s including one that had passed just after being born.”
The research also found that concentrations were three times higher on average in the otters that were found near major cities and shipping routes around coastal B.C., such as Victoria and Tofino.
“Our use of their environment or use of their resources they rely on can affect them very, very directly,” explained Dr. Martin Haulena, Director of animal health at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Related:
The research team says government regulation of manufacturing is key to preventing PFAS spread.
But we can all do our part in preventing forever chemicals from reaching our waters.
“What we can do to make a difference for sea otters, and ourselves, is be informed consumers,” said Price.
“There are a lot of brands that have gone above and beyond the regulations, so seeking out brands like that that have made those commitments is probably a good thing that the everyday person can do.”
“A healthy sea otter population is a healthy reflection of a healthy ecosystem,” Haulena told CityNews.
The point of the research is to find a baseline, the level of PFAS contamination now.
Then, future research will show whether things are improving or getting worse for the long-term health of sea otters.