Toxins -  Background Information


  1. Reducing toxins in the environment

  2. Petition to have PBDEs banned in Canada - have your municipality added to the list.

  3. Excellent background on PBDEs, includes companies and states that have banned their use

  4. Toxic Nation” information on all from brominated fire retardants to bisphenol A .

  5. Which plastics are safer ?(Although we should be reducing use of all plastics.)

  6. Information on the plastics of the North Pacific Gyre

  7. Report on cruise ship pollution. Includes video.

  8. Update on toxin regulation in Canada


  9. Information on brominated fire retardants (PBDEs), the new Persistent Organic Pollutant. 

  10. Dr. Peter Ross' "Fireproof Killer Whales" which focuses on the toxicity, bioaccumulation and persistence of brominated fire retardants (scientific paper)

  11. Scientific paper on the current state of knowledge on PBDEs: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Marine Ecosystems of the American Continents: Foresight from Current Knowledge Susan D. Shaw1 and Kurunthachalam Kannan2

  12. Short video from Ocean Futures Society on the need to ban PBDEs (links to the latest Cousteau special on killer whales and toxins “Call of the Killer Whale”)

  13. National Geographic movie (53 minutes) investigating bioaccumulation in transient and S. resident killer whales.

  14. Suzuki Foundation's response to Environment Canada's PBDE management proposal; includes a report by Dr. Peter Ross and updates on what other countries are doing with regard to PBDEs Fireproof Whales and Contaminated Mother’s Milk: The Inadequacy of Canada’s Proposed PBDE Regulations  

  15. Europe bans all use of PBDEs as of Feb 2008 .  Some American states to follow suit.

  16. Environment Canada's proposed risk management strategy for PBDEs; includes an overview of what other nations' initiatives against PBDEs

  17. From the European Health Alliance

  18. Oceana’s PBDE fact sheet 

  19. From the Environmental Working Group (USA ) – extensive report on toxins in the environment  

  20. From Our Stolen Future 

  21. Answers to frequently asked questions about PBDEs 

  22. (April 3rd, 2007) Washington is the first American state to ban all forms of brominated fire retardants!  


  23. Cetacean Sightings Network - overview of impacts of toxins on cetaceans.

  24. Antibacterial agent “triclosan” found in bottlenosed dolphins.


PCBs

  1. Dr. Peter Ross’ initial research on bioaccumulation in killer whales  (scientific paper)

  2. History of the use of PCBs

  3. Background on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants aimed at banning the "Dirty Dozen" (12 historical bioaccumulative chemicals - May 17th 2004 bulletin).  

  4. Information on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) from the JapanOffspring Fund.  Includes a presentation from Jackie Hildering 

  5. Oceana’s report on POPs in marine life 



  6. David Suzuki Foundation report revealing the woeful inadequacy of Canada's pesticide regulations