Friday, May 1, 1992 - North Shore News Whales show effects of toxins on food chain AS FIUMANS are on land, whales are at the top of the food chain in their ocean environment. This is not reassuring. Peggy Trendell-Whittaker ECO INFO ‘It’s not reassuring because we are now witnessing the effect of PCBs, DDT and other ““organohalogens’”’ -—- molecules containing one or more halogenic atoms such as chlorine, fluorine or bromine — on whales and other marine animals, and it’s not pretty. Organohalogens are extremely long-lived, and are insoluble in water but soluble in body fat. That means when they are in- gested, they lodge in the animal’s body fat and remain there, to be passed on either to its offspring via the fat-laden mother’s milk, or to whatever predator might eat the animal, inheriting its ac- cumulation of organohalogens. In this manner, the toxic substances become more and more concentrated as they rise up the food chain. Bonus XBR Stand included Adult beluga whales in the Sr. Lawrence River carry a PCB (polychlorinated bi-phenyl) load of about 600 parts per million, and one whale was measured at a tevel of 3,200 parts per million. When you consider that U.S. laws stipulate that it is illegal to sell anything containing more than five parts per million of PCBs, and that anything with more than 50 parts per million is considered special hazardous waste and must be disposed of accordingly, you realize the plight of the whales is serious indeed. The result is that whales and dolphins are experiencing devel- opmental abnormalities and previously unseen cancers. Similar manifestations, in- cluding reproductive difficulties, are being seen in the birds and animals who live around the Great Lakes and depend on that polluted environment for their food sources. That’s bad enough. But it gets even more scary when you listen to the researchers who are sug- gesting that the effect might not be too much different on humans. Recently, the World Wildlife Fund recommended that girls and women refrain from euting fish caught in the Great Lakes until they have finished bearing children. While we are already unavoidably passing on ac- cumulated loads of organohalogens such as DDT and other toxins in our breast milk, we must work to keep that level as low as possible. There is not just evidence of ‘what is happening to the whales to warn us, there was one human study that suggests we should proceed cautiously. Women who ate fish caught in Lake Michigan once per month were compared to women who XBR55 Series © Available in 34” & 28" screens e Advanced Picture-In-Piciure ¢ Picture-In-Picture Channel Scan © Sub-Picture Audio ® Digital Memo © Channel Index (8 to 16) ® Three Year Parts & Labour Free never ace fish. Babies of the fish-eating women were found to have a lower average birth weight than the other mothers’ babies and a smaller head circumference. Follow-up studies are also in- dicating some behavioral dif- ferences. The belugas are a poignant ex- ample of what's taking place at every level of the food chain. There’s no better argument for cleaning up our water systems — by cleaning up our industries and by going organic in our own backyards as well. If you’ve ever wanted to polish up your public speaking skills and help the environment, you now have a chance to do both at the same time. Last year, North Van’s Victoria Hogan founded the ‘‘EarthSave’’ branch of tie Toastmaster’s Club. While EarthSave is the organization that promotes vegetarianism as a healthful and planet-sustaining diet, the club is open to anyone with any en- vironmental interest, from organic gardening to waste reduction. The members meet every Mon- day evening and have already been recognized for their talent — Stationery ¢ "cards Jewelry © Gifts Papermaking kits etc. PAPER-GO-ROUND 9 Lonsdale, (close to Quay) 988-9932 28” TRINITRON KV-27XBR55 34” SLV-585HF Hi-Fi CCDFXa10' Sane met MTS Stereo Receiver with Shuttle Controf on VCR and remote commander “Bilingual” error message and front panel inputs. Guaranteed lowest prices in town New easy snap on quick * connection © 2 lux minimum illumination ¢ Date/time age insert © Sports viewlinder One year parts & labour free BONUS KIT $79.95 Kit includes: *8 mm video cassette tape © Video head-cleaning cassette * Rechargeable battery pack © Video camera filter kit © Tipod AMBLESIDE TV. & VIDEO 1487 MARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER 926-7000 or 926-1400 Brent Stewart won the humorous Speech contest in B.C. last November, beating out over 130 Toastmaster branches for the honor. Members learn to speak more professionally and confidently and field an environmental speakers’ bureau to keep their skills honed. For more information, call! Vic- toria Hogan at 987-8296. Next Saturday (May 10) is Pit- ch-In Day around the country. You may wish to organize a gar- bage pick-up around your neighborhood, or take part in Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre’s annual clean-up. For information, call the ecology centre at 987-5922. Are we off our Rocker ? FREE entry to our Mothers op day draw for your choice of our Rocking Chairs. f Largest selection of unpainted furniture in Western Canada. All fully assembled and ready to go Our 3 Drawer chew, Birch $ 144+ Tax O.C.ALY. Furniture 12542 BRIDGEPORT RD, RICHMOND 278-4779 | BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM Positive self-esteem can be learned and used a effectively to counter negative conditioning from our past. Improvement can be made in our relationships, our families, our jobs, and B within ourselves. Many have been able to a assistance. 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