This meat should contain relatively low levels of contaminants. However, tests have shown that not all kujira is minke whale meat. Some of it is dolphin, porpoise, or beaked whale meat. People who eat kujira, thinking they are avoiding unsafe levels of contaminants, may in fact be eating meat that contains very high levels of toxic substances. The effects of environmental contaminants in humans are very serious.
DDT exposure is associated with certain cancer risks and neurological and reproductive disorders.
Dioxins, among the most toxic substances known, can cause cancer, metabolic dysfunction, and immune system disorders. Methylmercury consumption can cause neurological and developmental problems. The contaminants are often most highly concentrated in blubber because they are lipophilic, meaning they bond easily and even preferentially to fat. Relying on whale meat as a source of protein is not only dangerous for adults eating the meat, but it also may be unhealthy for their children. One study of Faroe Islanders detected developmental disorders in children with prenatal exposure to PCBs their mothers consumed pilot whale meat and blubber regularly during pregnancy versus those without exposure to PCBs their mothers did not consume pilot whale meat and blubber or only consumed them in very small quantities during pregnancy.