Australian biologists from the Marine Mammal Foundation and the University of Melbourne have discovered record levels of toxic “forever chemical” PFAS in the bodies of the endangered Australian bottlenose dolphin. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Total Environmental Science (STTE).
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals are used in the production of cookware, food containers, clothing and other items. They give the items heat, water and oil resistant properties. There are more than 10 thousand different PFAS today. These compounds are very stable, almost do not degrade and can accumulate in soil, water, human and animal bodies, which is why they are called “eternal”.
The researchers sampled 38 dolphins of various species washed up on beaches along the Victorian coastline. The highest levels of PFAS were found in Australian bottlenose dolphin populations living in Port Phillip Bay.
The average concentrations of chemical toxins in the animals’ bodies were 10 times higher than the level that threatened the condition of the liver and other organs. And one young bottlenose dolphin had 19,500 nanograms of PFAS in its liver; this was the highest level ever recorded in a single dolphin worldwide.
Australian bottlenose dolphins were first described as a separate species in 2011. They live only off the coast of Australia and their population is only 250 individuals.
The main sources of PFAS in the aquatic environment are thought to be industrial wastewater, wastewater treatment plant discharges, municipal runoff and landfills, and firefighting foams used on land near waterways.
The study also revealed the emergence of new contaminants in the environment; This suggests that the new chemicals bioaccumulated through food chains and reached the dolphins.
Previous scientists to create A way to turn harmful “infinite chemicals” into valuable raw materials.