A three-year-old harbor porpoise that was found dead in Norway was full of 40-year-old environmental toxins.
The harbor porpoise, which has been named Elida, was found in Sognefjorden in Vestland county. An examination later showed that it had very high levels of the environmental toxins PCB and PBDE, according to a report from the Norwegian Environment Agency.
"Pollutants are transported over considerable distances, do not break down and remain in nature for a very long time. There, they can affect animals, humans, and the environment for countless years," says Environment Director Ellen Hambro in a press release.
PCB has been banned in Norway since the 1980s and PBDE since the 2000s.
"The harbor porpoise Elida tells a nasty story about old environmental toxins that have been banned for many years, but never disappear," she says.
