Chemical pollution including PCBs, organochlorines, and microplastics accumulates in cetaceans through bioaccumulation, causing immune suppression and reproductive failure.
Chronic chemical contamination causes immune suppression that makes cetaceans more susceptible to viral disease and reduces reproductive success. The Moray Firth orca pod is functionally extinct due to reproductive failure linked to contamination. Individual animals affected by contamination experience compromised immune function throughout their lives. Reducing future pollution protects future populations even though legacy contamination cannot be rapidly removed.