Tragedy of European dolphins: Polluted living environment, record mercury concentration

Still knowing that the current marine environment has been destroyed by humans on many levels, but few people can really imagine how serious this story is , until the story is known. New tragedy discovered by science about dolphins in Europe.

The story is that experts from the University of Liege (Belgium) have discovered a record concentration of toxic chemicals - including mercury in the body of the bottlenose dolphin living off the coast of France. More precisely, they live in the Manche Strait (also known as the English Channel) , which is one of the last places dolphins still prosper in the world.

The habitat of European dolphins has a record concentration of toxic chemicals.

More specifically, experts sampled the skin of more than 80 dolphins in the area. Examination results showed that all samples contained mercury and PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) in high concentrations in the fat. In addition, industrial chemicals such as dioxins and pesticides are also there, as if these dolphins had to live in a mess of toxic substances.

The tragedy of the dolphins - the chemicals passed down my whole life

"Research shows that chemicals like PCBs can be passed from mother to baby, and this is a disturbing phenomenon for the whole species," - said Dr. Krishna Das from University of Liege.

Some other experts think the European bottlenose dolphin habitat should be an area that needs to be preserved, to protect the species."As a predatory species, bottlenose dolphins are suffering from exposure to many of the dangerous chemicals outlined in the study. In addition, many smaller populations of European dolphins are exposed. threat is much bigger. "

Determine killer whale with record high PCB.

It is known that PCB is a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics, paints and electrical appliances, which has been banned for decades. However, the remaining PCBs are still there, spreading into the environment, and accumulating in the fat of dolphins and whales.

In previous studies, it was discovered that the fat of dead bottlenose dolphins in Europe contained this chemical. In 2016, the body of a killer whale containing PCBs concentrations reached a record, making its body alive during instability.

The research is published in Scientific Reports.