A new summary of toxins in the Arctic says old-fashioned contaminants like mercury continue to threaten polar bears and whales despite international attempts to control them.
The report for the eight countries that ring the Arctic circle found mercury poses a high level of risk to several Canadian polar bear populations.
Killer whales in the North Pacific are also at high risk from PCB contamination.
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Both mercury and PCBs are the subject of international treaties to control and limit their release.
The study, released late last week, concludes that climate change is heightening the risk for some bears as their feeding patterns change. It also finds dozens of new industrial chemicals are starting to show up in the Arctic, with little known about their effects.
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