Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
POISONS IN LOCAL PINNIPEDS
The Harbor Seal is an apex predator in the estuary. These 200-pound-plus pinni-
peds fear only big sharks and dine on fish large and small during life spans of 30
years or more. But lately, the top tier of the food web has become a perilous place
to be. Recent studies have shown that environmental pollutants called polybromi-
nated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, have been accumulating at an alarming rate in
local Harbor Seals.
PBDEs were first used intensively in the 1970s as flame retardants in uphol-
stery foam, rigid plastics, textiles, and electronics. They also resist degradation and
have been accumulating in the bay food web, so much so that the Bay Area ap-
San Pablo
Bay
Suisun Bay
Rivers
Central Bay
South Bay
Lower South
Bay
0
20 miles
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40
60
80
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Map 8. BDE47 in water (in picograms per liter, or parts per quadrillian) based on
203 data points measured between 2002 and 2008 by the Regional Monitoring
Program. BDE47 is one of the most abundant PBDEs (ingredients in flame retar-
dants) detected in the bay. (S.F. Estuary Institute)
