Orcas eating contaminated food

SEATTLE, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say endangered orcas, or killer whales, living in Puget Sound are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.

The report, published in published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, says the orcas are exposed to PCBs, flame retardants and other persistent organic pollution concentrations in Chinook salmon, the Seattle Times report Thursday.

The southern resident population of orcas eat large numbers of Chinook salmon that come from areas with higher concentrations of toxins than northern resident populations.