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The BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS of Sarasota Bay are known for being friendly and curious – and attracting tourists. But new research shows that dolphins can not escape the man-made chemicals that accumulate in their bodies and have a potential impact on their health.
A study published this week in American Geophysical Union revealed that bottlenose dolphins also contained phthalates, a class of chemical additives found in many products in our homes, such as plastics, cosmetics and paints. .
From 2016 to 2017, researchers from the College of Charleston and the Chicago Zoological Society collected urine samples from 17 dolphins found in the bay. The urine allowed the researchers to see chemicals still present between three and six months after the dolphin had been in contact with it.
This is the first time that these chemicals have been found in wild dolphins. Animals from this area are well known to researchers who have been studying these creatures for over 40 years.
"We were not surprised to detect the exposure, but what was surprising were the levels detected," says lead author of the study, Leslie Hart.
At least one form of phthalate was found in 71% of the dolphins tested
As this was the first time researchers used urine to test, Hart says they always establish what is considered normal or abnormal. But some dolphins had levels of phthalate metabolites comparable to those found in humans, which is surprising, as humans are likely to come into more regular contact with objects such as plastics or cosmetics containing these chemicals.
While scientists now have a better idea of the chemicals found in dolphins, the study raises questions about how animals might come into contact with phthalates and how this could affect their health.
Phthalates in the environment
Phthalates are used to make plastics and vinyl more flexible and flexible, and they are extremely popular in global consumer goods. Prior to 1999, they were found in infant teething tools such as pacifiers, although they have since been banned in some children's toys. The National Library of Medicine in the United States notes that little is known about the health effects of phthalates, although they have been found in water, soil and air.
Tara Cox, dolphin researcher at the University of Savannah, explains that dolphins are very active in the food chain, live for a long time and often swim off urban areas. affiliated with the study.
"They can give us information about what's going on in the environment and what might affect humans," she notes.
A phthalate study found that when rats were exposed to a particular phthalate in the long term, they developed liver cancer and had reproductive problems.
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Hart's work is part of an ongoing project to study the impacts of phthalates on health and how they are dispersed in the environment. She has also conducted studies with students to understand behaviors that increase the risk of exposure.
In some trials, changing the behavior of consumers by asking them not to use common products such as shampoos and soaps containing phthalates showed a measurable decrease in chemical traces in their bodies.
While scientists still have a lot to learn about the dangers of phthalates, Hart hopes that identifying the biggest sources of these chemicals will reduce exposure and the associated health risks.
"You can see environmental benefits," Hart says, about reducing consumer demand.
How dolphins accumulate it
The next phase of dolphin research in Sarasota Bay will attempt to identify how dolphins metabolize phthalates. Scientists are also trying to understand how these chemicals enter the bodies of dolphins. Other aquatic organisms such as algae, fish and some invertebrates have shown traces of phthalates. It is therefore possible that dolphins feed on animals containing these substances.
As the plastic breaks down, it also releases phthalates into the water and runoff from urban centers can contain traces of chemicals that seep into the ocean.
Without testing animals in other areas, Hart can not say if the problem is widespread, but she says other dolphin populations might show traces of similar chemicals.
Cox agrees that the question is probably more widespread than Florida. "Wherever humans are nearby, you will have this runoff," she says.
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