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

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

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.

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.