The Dolphins of the Indo River are notable creatures that evolved to live in Ríos after its main habitat, the old Sea of Tethys, dried approximately 50 million years ago, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Today, they are highly in danger and face a new threat: microplastics.
A new study examined the gastrointestinal tracts of five dolphins of the deceased Indo River and found that they were very contaminated with plastic waste.
What is happening?
Since the construction of an irrigation installation, the Dolphins of the Indo River have limited themselves to a 750 -mile stretch that extends from Pakistan to India, which makes its population decrease dramatically, according to WWF.
This river route is considered one of the most contaminated in the world.
When examining the gastrointestinal treaties of the dolphins of the deceased Indo River, or IRD, the researchers expected to obtain a better understanding of the impact that microplastics are having on the environment and how they increase the food chain.
“The microplastics are transferred by the food chain, and the IRDs, as predators of the apex, accumulate them together with the additives, including bisphanols and phthalates, which have been shown to be chemical to disgust endocrine,” explained the authors of the study, according to Phys.org.
These substances “can cause digestive dysfunction, oxidative stress, immune interruption and reproductive toxicity, collectively threatening health, survival and resistance of IRD populations,” said the authors.
The researchers found that many of the microplastic and nanoplastic particles in the guts of the dolphins were the same as in their prey, which demonstrates how plastic pollution moves from one species to another.
The study revealed that 94.76% of the plastics found in deceased dolphins were fibers, and more than half were PET.
“The polymers emanate from plastic strings, fishing nets, plastic bottles and bags and agricultural runoff, which suggests their accumulation by intensive anthropomorphic interventions,” said the authors, according to Phys.org.
In other words, the study eliminated any questions that the plastic waste of human activities were guilt.
Why is plastic pollution important?
Microplastic particles have now contaminated every corner of the world and even our own bodies. While there is much to learn about the precise ways in which microplastics impact living bodies and the environment, what experts know has caused a high level of concern.
“There are many unknowns, but we are seeing more data that suggests that microplastics affect human biology,” said Bernardo Lemos of the THR School of Public Health of Harvard University, according to the Harvard Medicine publication.
It has been observed that microplastics interrupt living bodies to cellular and even genetic levels, which causes conditions that are recognized precursors for cancer, according to Harvard’s medicine.
It has also been found that microplastic pollution contaminates food sources, soil, water supplies and even the air we breathe, impacting the environment and, ultimately, human health.
What is being done about it?
The only way to reduce the amount of plastic pollution that enters the environment and our bodies is to greatly reduce the production of new plastic. With only a small recycled plastic portion, and many plastic materials are unrecognable, the world cannot recycle the plastic problem.
The world produces more than 500 million tons of plastic each year, of which approximately 22 million tons end in the oceans of the world, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
While reducing plastic production will require a massive company that involves international cooperation, there are still steps that we can all take at the individual level to help make a difference.
Reducing the use of plastic, choosing alternatives without plastic for everyday products and supporting brands that use plastic containers can help reduce the amount of plastic waste that generates while sending an important message to companies that consumers prefer alternatives without plastic.
Unique our free bulletin for good news and Useful tipsAnd this list of easy ways to help be lost while helping the planet.
(Tagstotransilate) Indo river
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