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Hart LB, Dziobak M, Wells RS, McCabe EB, Conger E, Curtin T, Knight M, Weinstein J. Plastic, It's What's for Dinner: A Preliminary Comparison of Ingested Particles in Bottlenose Dolphins and Their Prey. OCEANS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 4:409-422. [PMID: 38766537 PMCID: PMC11101200 DOI: 10.3390/oceans4040028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Microplastic ingestion was reported for common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting Sarasota Bay, FL, USA, a community that also has prevalent exposure to plasticizers (i.e., phthalates) at concentrations higher than human reference populations. Exposure sources are currently unknown, but plastic-contaminated prey could be a vector. To explore the potential for trophic exposure, prey fish muscle and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) tissues and contents were screened for suspected microplastics, and particle properties (e.g., color, shape, surface texture) were compared with those observed in gastric samples from free-ranging dolphins. Twenty-nine fish across four species (hardhead catfish, Ariopsis felis; pigfish, Orthopristis chrysoptera; pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides; and Gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta) were collected from Sarasota Bay during September 2022. Overall, 97% of fish (n = 28) had suspected microplastics, and GIT abundance was higher than muscle. Fish and dolphin samples contained fibers and films; however, foams were common in dolphin samples and not observed in fish. Suspected tire wear particles (TWPs) were not in dolphin samples, but 23.1% and 32.0% of fish muscle and GIT samples, respectively, contained at least one suspected TWP. While some similarities in particles were shared between dolphins and fish, small sample sizes and incongruent findings for foams and TWPs suggest further investigation is warranted to understand trophic transfer potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie B. Hart
- Department of Health and Human Performance, School of Health Sciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
- Center for Coastal Environmental and Human Health, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Miranda Dziobak
- Department of Health and Human Performance, School of Health Sciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Randall S. Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Elizabeth Berens McCabe
- Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Eric Conger
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Tita Curtin
- Department of Health and Human Performance, School of Health Sciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Maggie Knight
- Graduate Program in Marine Biology, Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - John Weinstein
- Department of Biology, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409, USA
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Moreira-Mendieta A, Garcia-Garin O, Muñoz-Pérez JP, Urquía DO, Drago M, Borrell A, Páez-Rosas D. Detection and quantification of microplastic pollution in the endangered Galapagos sea lion. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:166223. [PMID: 37586531 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Marine debris pollution poses a significant global threat to biodiversity, with plastics being the primary debris type found in oceans due to their low-cost production and high demand worldwide. Microplastics (MPs, <5 mm in size) are highly bioavailable to a wide range of marine taxa, including marine mammals, through direct and indirect ingestion routes (i.e., trophic transfer). Recently, MP pollution has been detected on the Galapagos Marine Reserve, so in this study we developed a baseline framework for MP pollution in the Galapagos sea lion (GSL, Zalophus wollebaeki) through scat-based analysis. We collected 180 GSL scat samples from the southeast region following strict quality assurance/quality control protocols to detect, quantify and characterize physical-chemical properties of MPs through visual observations and μFT-IR spectroscopy. We recovered 81 MPs of varying sizes and colors in 37 % of samples (n = 66/180), consisting mostly of fibers (69 %, x¯ = 0.31 ± 0.57 particles scat-1). The number of particles per gram of sample wet weight ranged from 0.02 to 0.22 (x¯ = 0.04 ± 0.05 particles scat wet g-1). El Malecón and Punta Pitt rookeries at San Cristobal Island had the highest number of MPs (x¯ = 0.67 ± 0.51 and 0.43 ± 0.41 particles scat-1, respectively), and blue-colored particles were the most common in all samples. We identified eleven polymers in 46 particles, consisting mostly of polypropylene-polyethylene copolymer, polypropylene, cellulose, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride. The textile, fishing, and packaging industries are likely significant sources of microfibers into this insular ecosystem. Our results suggest that the GSL is exposed to MPs due to anthropogenic contamination that is subsequently transferred through trophic processes. These findings provide an important baseline framework and insights for future research on MP pollution in the region, as well as for management actions that will contribute to the long-term conservation of the GSL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Moreira-Mendieta
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Maestría en Ecología Tropical y Conservación, Diego de Robles s/n y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Galapagos Science Center, Av. Alsacio Northia s/n, Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Ecuador.
| | - Odei Garcia-Garin
- Universitat de Barcelona, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Barcelona 08028, Spain; Universitat de Barcelona, Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Galapagos Science Center, Av. Alsacio Northia s/n, Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Ecuador; University of the Sunshine Coast UniSC, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia
| | - Diego O Urquía
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Maestría en Ecología Tropical y Conservación, Diego de Robles s/n y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Galapagos Science Center, Av. Alsacio Northia s/n, Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Massimiliano Drago
- Universitat de Barcelona, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Barcelona 08028, Spain; Universitat de Barcelona, Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Universitat de Barcelona, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Barcelona 08028, Spain; Universitat de Barcelona, Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Galapagos Science Center, Av. Alsacio Northia s/n, Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Ecuador; Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos, Unidad Técnica Operativa San Cristóbal, Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Ecuador
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Malafaia G, Barceló D. Microplastics in human samples: Recent advances, hot-spots, and analytical challenges. Trends Analyt Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2023.117016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
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