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Microplastics in large whales occasionally found in German waters

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2024 Score: 35 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Cristina Panti, Bianca Unger Sonja M. Ehlers, Bianca Unger Cristina Panti, Bianca Unger Sonja M. Ehlers, Bianca Unger, Bianca Unger, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Sonja M. Ehlers, Cristina Panti, Maria Cristina Fossi, Sonja M. Ehlers, Maria Cristina Fossi, Matteo Galli, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Galli, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Bianca Unger Matteo Galli, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Bianca Unger Bianca Unger Sonja M. Ehlers, Bianca Unger Sonja M. Ehlers, Bianca Unger Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Philipp Carolin, Philipp Carolin, Philipp Carolin, Philipp Carolin, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Sonja M. Ehlers, Bianca Unger Cristina Panti, Bianca Unger Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Maria Cristina Fossi, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Sonja M. Ehlers, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Sonja M. Ehlers, Sonja M. Ehlers, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Sonja M. Ehlers, Jochen H. E. Koop, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Cristina Panti, Jochen H. E. Koop, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Jochen H. E. Koop, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Sonja M. Ehlers, Jochen H. E. Koop, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Bianca Unger Sonja M. Ehlers, Sonja M. Ehlers, Sonja M. Ehlers, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Matteo Galli, Jochen H. E. Koop, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Bianca Unger Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Jochen H. E. Koop, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Maria Cristina Fossi, Bianca Unger Cristina Panti, Jochen H. E. Koop, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Matteo Galli, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Jochen H. E. Koop, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, U. Siebert, U. Siebert, U. Siebert, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, U. Siebert, Matteo Baini, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Baini, Matteo Galli, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Cristina Panti, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Maria Cristina Fossi, Matteo Baini, Matteo Galli, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Cristina Panti, Matteo Baini, Bianca Unger

Summary

Researchers examined microplastic occurrence in intestinal and fecal samples from 19 large whales stranded on German and Danish coasts between 2016 and 2022, using Nile Red staining, fluorescence microscopy, and µFTIR spectroscopy for particle identification. They found an average of 4.6 MPs per individual in odontocetes and 3.3 MPs in mysticetes, with polyamide and polyester as the dominant polymer types and an equal ratio of fragments to fibers.

Larger whales, such as fin (Balaenoptera physalus) or sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) occasionally end up in German waters. The federal state of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) has a stranding network as part of its monitoring programme covering the North and Baltic Sea coastline. The ITAW is regularly conducting necropsies of dead stranded marine mammals since 1990. Besides the recording of body measurements, samples are also taken from various organs, such as the intestine. Here, we investigated the microplastic (MP) occurrence in intestinal and faecal samples from 18 whales stranded between 2016 and 2022 on the German North Sea (N=16) and Baltic Sea coasts (N=2) as well as one fin whale found in the Danish North Sea. Next to the mentioned species, also three minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), one killer whale (Orcinus orca), one pilot whale (Globicephala melas) and two dolphin specimens (Delphinus delphis and Lagenorhynchus albirostris) were analysed. Samples were treated after an established protocol to extract MPs (¿100µm) from biogenic matter by using washing sachets and a washing machine. Particles of interest were chosen for µFTIR spectroscopy, after Nile Red staining and fluorescence microscopy for pre-sorting were applied. An average load of 4.6 MPs in Odontocetes and 3.3 MPs in Mysticetes were found, besides a general share of both of 0 to 19 MPs per 10 gr of faeces. Polyamide and polyester were prevalent, the ratio of fragments to fibres was identical (39 fragments, 38 fibres). Furthermore, muscle and blubber samples were additionally analysed for 11 phthalate acid ester (PAEs), widely used as plastic additives. PAEs show a different pattern of accumulation among the different species and they concentrate preferentially in blubber rather than muscles. The study clearly shows an MP burden in large whales and related chemical compounds and contributes to forming a holistic picture of the investigated species. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/554106/document

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