Forever chemicals found in B.C. sea otters for 1st time

New research from the University of British Columbia has found that B.C.’s sea otters are contaminated.

“Unfortunately, every single sea otter that we looked at did have ‘forever chemicals’ in them, including a very young sea otter that had died just after being born,” Dana Price, a researcher at the university, told Global News.

For the first time, UBC researchers have identified per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, in B.C. sea otters.

Of the 11 deceased animals studied, eight of 40 tested PFAS chemicals were present, with seven found only in the liver.

“They are this man-made chemical; they don’t exist on their own in nature,” Price said.

“But a lot of them have been found to be quite toxic and can cause things from cancers, organ damage, and they act a lot in suppressing the immune system, which is a concern.”

PFAS are found in products such as cosmetics, non-stick cookware and firefighting foam.

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Concentrations of the substances were on average three times higher in otters found near larger cities and shipping routes on B.C.’s coast, such as Victoria and Tofino.

And while the levels are below what would require an immediate response, the researchers said there is no doubt that the contaminants are contributing to the animal’s overall health.

“We’ve known for decades that they’re toxic,” Peter Ross with the Rainforest Conservation Foundation said.

“I struggle to understand why it takes us so long as a society to get harmful substances off the market.”

0:28 Sea otters photographed trying to joining B.C. surfers near Sooke

Ross said the federal government has only regulated a fraction of the PFAS — six of the 15,000.

He said regulation of manufacturing is key to preventing further spread.

“We do have an issue here, we do have a problem,” Ross said.

“We are chasing the game and we are trying to play catch-up.”

For now, the research provides a baseline for PFAS levels in sea otters going forward.