Further Evidence Of Immune System, Hormone Damage To Polar Bears From POPs

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"Evidence that the health of polar bears is being damaged by chemicals has been reinforced by new Arctic research. The findings show biological changes in the hormone and immune systems of the bears are related to the levels of toxic contaminants in their bodies.

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The research is published in two academic journals: the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, and Environmental Health Perspectives. It was conducted by international teams of scientists in Canada and on Spitzbergen, the main island of the Svalbard archipelago in the high Arctic.

Dr Andrew Derocher, who has long experience in studying the bears' contamination, said: "The studies conducted on polar bears over the last few years all conclude that these animals are negatively affected by chemical pollution. "Most polar bears probably have several hundred man-made chemicals in their bodies and they have never evolved mechanisms to deal with them. "The unintentional tinkering with the hormone and immune system of a polar bear is unlikely to be good for them."

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In 2000 scientists on Svalbard said more than 1% of the islands' bears were hermaphroditic, showing the reproductive organs of both sexes."

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3645112.stm