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First evidence of microplastic inhalation among free-ranging small cetaceans
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For the first time, researchers documented microplastic inhalation in wild dolphins by collecting breath samples from animals in Florida and Louisiana. Every dolphin tested had at least one microplastic particle in their exhaled breath. This finding is significant because if marine mammals are inhaling microplastics from ocean air, humans living and working near coastlines are likely exposed to similar airborne microplastic contamination.
Plastic is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, resulting in widespread exposure across terrestrial and marine spaces. In the environment, plastics can degrade into microparticles where exposure has been documented in a variety of fauna at all trophic levels. Human epidemiological studies have found relationships between inhaled microplastics and oxidative stress and inflammation. Previous studies of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have reported prevalent exposure to plasticizing chemicals (e.g., phthalates) as well as particle loads in gastrointestinal tracts, but exposure from inhalation has not yet been studied. The objective of this study was to determine if inhalation is a viable route of microplastic exposure for free-ranging dolphins. Exhalation samples were opportunistically collected from dolphins residing in Sarasota Bay, Florida (n = 5) and Barataria Bay, Louisiana (n = 6) during catch-and-release health assessments to screen for microplastic particles. All dolphin samples contained at least one suspected microplastic particle, and polymer composition was determined for 100% of a subset (n = 17) of samples. Additional studies are warranted to better understand the extent of inhaled microplastics, as well as to explore impacts, given potential risks to lung function and health.
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Microplastic pollution is everywhere, even in the exhaled breath of dolphins – new research
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Researchers detected microplastics in the exhaled breath of wild dolphins, demonstrating that marine mammals are inhaling airborne plastic particles and providing new evidence of how pervasive microplastic pollution has become across ocean ecosystems.
Microplastics in gastric samples from common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) residing in Sarasota Bay FL (USA)
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Microplastics were detected in gastric samples from common bottlenose dolphins residing in Sarasota Bay, Florida, confirming that even marine mammals in a relatively studied coastal area are exposed to plastic debris. The results add to evidence that microplastics are widespread in the marine food web and that dolphins serve as useful sentinels for coastal pollution.
First report from North America of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
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This study reported the first North American case of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of stranded bottlenose dolphins, finding particles in the majority of animals examined. The detection of microplastics in apex marine predators like dolphins indicates that plastic contamination has penetrated far up the marine food chain.
Microplastics in the stomach contents of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) stranded on the Galician coasts (NW Spain, 2005–2010)
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Researchers found microplastics in the stomach contents of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) stranded on Galician coasts between 2005 and 2010, providing the first record of microplastic presence in the digestive tracts of marine mammals from this region.
Captive dolphins face higher levels of microplastic pollution than wild individuals
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Researchers developed a reliable multi-tissue framework for extracting microplastics from cetaceans and applied it to compare contamination levels in wild and captive pantropical spotted dolphins. They found that captive dolphins had higher levels of microplastic contamination than their wild counterparts, with high detection rates of 80-100% across various tissues. The findings suggest that captive marine environments may expose dolphins to greater microplastic pollution than open ocean habitats.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.