Whales also lack a key gene that, in land-living mammals, functions akin to an antioxidant to neutralize low concentrations of organophosphate—run off from croplands and collected by the animals’ tissues—and, unlike some seabirds, whales cannot shunt chemical burdens into feathers to be shed during a molt. Fractional exposure builds up over multiple seasons, making some whales more polluted than their environment.
