Poisoned Waters

Several coworkers and family members have told me about "Poisoned Waters," which showed on KCTS on Tuesday. Unfortunately I missed the show, but here is an article discussing the special.

I'm glad to hear that viewers were so moved by the message - that Puget Sound, like Chesapeake Bay, is highly polluted. Locally the effects are seen in our Orca whale population. I've heard stories of dead Orcas that qualify as hazardous waste, as they have built up incredible levels of PCBs in their bodies. Sadly, this isn't a story of one particularly sensitive species. Orcas are top predators, and their contamination indicates that PCBs are both biomagnifying in the food chain and bioaccumulating in individual Orcas over their lives. Biomagnification occurs as higher trophic level animals accumulate the toxins of their prey species (i.e. an Orca eating salmon, which eats...). Each salmon has it's own load of toxins accumulated during it's life, and an Orca eats many salmon, thus building up a relatively larger load of toxins. The toxins continue to build as the whale ages, becoming more and more concentrated (bioaccumulation).

The good news is that the message is spreading. People for Puget Sound are strong advocates for our waters. The governor has shown her support for restoration efforts through the Puget Sound Initiative and Puget Sound Partnership. Citizens are beginning to see beyond the beautiful landscapes, and recognize that pollution isn't always easy to see.

As an aside, I was amused by the last portion of the P-I article, which references "Mr. Floatie." Got to love educational mascots! Especially a giant turd. See People Opposed to Outfall Pollution (POOP) to learn more.