Small whales and dolphins contain very high levels of toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, and organochlorines like PCBs, dioxins and benzenes. …show more content…
Mercury enters the ocean from a variety of sources, and as organisms absorb mercury in the ocean, it gets more and more concentrated the higher up the food chain one examines. (Burns) Because of the hunting and distribution of these meats in Eastern Asia, staggering amounts of mercury is found in the general population, the worst area of them is mainly in the town Taiji. “Specifically, the tests of 1,137 Taiji residents last year revealed that average MeHg (mercury) levels were 11.00 parts per million (ppm) for men and 6.63 ppm for women — compared with an average of 2.47 ppm for men and 1,64 ppm for women at 14 other locations in Japan.” (Burns) Although whaling has only become a concern to the general population in recent years, it has been a part of Japanese culture for many