Irish Sea Dolphins Rich In Tasty Hexabromocyclododecane - Times

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"DOLPHINS and porpoises stranded on Irish beaches have been found to contain high levels of a chemical used in the manufacture of polystyrene, according to a new study of Europe’s coasts. Up to five times as much of the chemical, used to make polystyrene and furniture upholstery fire-resistant, was discovered in mammals from the Irish Sea than from other European waters, according to the study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

A team led by scientists from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) said that industries using the chemical flame retardant in production processes are the most likely source of the pollution. It is probably getting into the sea after being discharged into the water system.

“Since the concentrations we found in this area are three to five times higher than in other seas, it is important to trace the source and see if production processes could be improved resulting in lower emissions to the environment,” said Jan Boon, a toxicologist with NIOZ.

Commercial hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a flame-retardant applied in polystyrene foams used mainly as insulation material in the building industry, but also used in upholstered furniture. About 16,000 tons are produced worldwide every year, and it is considered a priority pollutant under the existing substance regulation of the European Chemicals Bureau. Scientists examined the levels of HBCD in the blubber of harbour porpoises and dolphins stranded on the coasts of Scotland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain as well as Ireland. The measurements in harbour porpoises stranded on the Irish and Scottish coasts of the Irish Sea and the northwest coast of Scotland were significantly higher than those in all other areas, except for the south coast of Ireland. Common dolphins found on the west coast of Ireland also had the highest levels of the chemical."

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1612822,00.html