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Article: POPs in Polar Bears: organochlorines affect bone density.(Environews / Science Selections)
- Article from:
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Article date:
- December 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Both organochlorine chemicals--including a series of solvents and pesticides that have been banned in many parts of the world--and their metabolites have been linked to bone loss in a variety of species. Now, Christian Sonne of the Danish National Environmental Research Institute and colleagues have found a similar association in a new species [EHP 112:1711-1716]. Their work shows a link between organochlorine exposure and reduced bone mineral density among polar bears in East Greenland.
Organochlorines are among the chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which resist breakdown, store easily in fat, and bioaccumulate through the food chain. ...