Moby Dick's descendants should be happy. After sperm whale hunting has been abolished, they don't face a slow death at the end of harpoons anymore. The bodies of these animals contain toxins in such high quantities that they have to go to special disposal sites. Many of these persistent toxins like DDT, PCBs or PCP are 'sins' commited in the 60s and 70s and their concentrations in the environment are gradually being reduced. According to the latest research projects at the Swedish Karolinska Institute, the concentration of brominated flame retardants in mother's milk doubles every five years.
Human beings ingest most of the flame retardants with their food.
It has not yet been established how much of the gaseous flame retardants is taken in with the air we breathe. Brominated flame retardants are similar to well-known environmental toxins. They may be carcinogenic, damage the endocrine system or cause brain damage. While DDT and PCB were abolished in the industrialized countries a long time ago, brominated flame retardants are still produced in large quantities. Every year, we manufacture more than 150,000 tons of brominated flame retardants.