In fact, due to the bursting of the bubble caused by the wave energy, 100,000 tons Microplastics are released into the atmosphere every year. Dolphins and other marine mammals may be particularly vulnerable to exposure because they breathe at the surface of the water.
Where there are more people, Usually more plastic. However, this relationship is not necessarily true for small airborne plastic particles. Airborne microplastics are not limited to populated areas. they are pollute undeveloped areas Too.
Our research found microplastics in the breath of dolphins living in both urban and rural areas. estuaryBut we don’t know if there are significant differences in the amount or type of plastic particles between the two habitats.
How we work
Breath samples for our study were collected during catch-and-release health assessments of wild bottlenose dolphins. chicago brookfield zoo, Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, National Marine Mammal Foundationand Oceanographic Foundation.
During these permitted short medical examinations, we conducted Petri dish or customized tests. spirometerA device that measures lung function. It is placed above the dolphin’s blowhole and collects samples of the animal’s breath. use a microscope our colleagues’ labswe looked for small particles that looked like plastic, such as smooth surfaces, bright colors, and fibrous-shaped debris.
Plastic melts when heated, so I used a soldering needle to test whether these suspect parts were plastic. To make sure it’s really plastic, our colleagues We used a special method called Raman spectroscopywhich uses lasers to create structural fingerprints that can be matched to specific chemicals.
Our research reveals how widespread plastic pollution is and how other creatures, including dolphins, are exposed. Although we don’t yet know how inhaling plastics affects dolphins’ lungs, we can help tackle the problem of microplastic pollution by reducing our plastic use and trying to prevent more plastic from polluting our oceans. You can contribute.
