Are baleen whales exposed to the threat of microplastics? A case study of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
- PMID: 22964427
- DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.08.013
Are baleen whales exposed to the threat of microplastics? A case study of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Abstract
Baleen whales are potentially exposed to micro-litter ingestion as a result of their filter-feeding activity. However, the impacts of microplastics on baleen whales are largely unknown. In this case study of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), we explore the toxicological effects of microplastics on mysticetes. The study included the following three steps: (1) the collection/count of microplastics in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea), (2) the detection of phthalates in surface neustonic/planktonic samples, and (3) the detection of phthalates in stranded fin whales. A total of 56% of the surface neustonic/planktonic samples contained microplastic particles. The highest abundance of microplastics (9.63 items/m(3)) was found in the Portofino MPA (Ligurian Sea). High concentrations of phthalates (DEHP and MEHP) were detected in the neustonic/planktonic samples. The concentrations of MEHP found in the blubber of stranded fin whales suggested that phthalates could serve as a tracer of the intake of microplastics. The results of this study represent the first warning of this emerging threat to baleen whales.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Fin whales and microplastics: The Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Cortez scenarios.Environ Pollut. 2016 Feb;209:68-78. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.11.022. Epub 2015 Dec 7. Environ Pollut. 2016. PMID: 26637933
-
Large filter feeding marine organisms as indicators of microplastic in the pelagic environment: the case studies of the Mediterranean basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus).Mar Environ Res. 2014 Sep;100:17-24. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.02.002. Epub 2014 Feb 24. Mar Environ Res. 2014. PMID: 24612776
-
A multi-trial diagnostic tool in fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) skin biopsies of the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea) and the Gulf of California (Mexico).Mar Environ Res. 2010;69 Suppl:S17-20. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2009.10.006. Epub 2009 Nov 13. Mar Environ Res. 2010. PMID: 19913904
-
Fin Whales, Balaenoptera physalus: At Home in a Changing Mediterranean Sea?Adv Mar Biol. 2016;75:75-101. doi: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.002. Epub 2016 Sep 24. Adv Mar Biol. 2016. PMID: 27770993 Review. No abstract available.
-
Crassicaudosis: a parasitic disease threatening the health and population recovery of large baleen whales.Rev Sci Tech. 1992 Dec;11(4):1131-41. Rev Sci Tech. 1992. PMID: 1305859 Review.
Cited by
-
Microplastic and plastic pollution: impact on respiratory disease and health.Eur Respir Rev. 2024 Jun 12;33(172):230226. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0226-2023. Print 2024 Apr. Eur Respir Rev. 2024. PMID: 39009408 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Plastic, It's What's for Dinner: A Preliminary Comparison of Ingested Particles in Bottlenose Dolphins and Their Prey.Oceans (Basel). 2023 Dec;4(4):409-422. doi: 10.3390/oceans4040028. Epub 2023 Dec 7. Oceans (Basel). 2023. PMID: 38766537 Free PMC article.
-
Microplastics in Cetaceans Stranded on the Portuguese Coast.Animals (Basel). 2023 Oct 19;13(20):3263. doi: 10.3390/ani13203263. Animals (Basel). 2023. PMID: 37893986 Free PMC article.
-
The genomic footprint of whaling and isolation in fin whale populations.Nat Commun. 2023 Sep 12;14(1):5465. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-40052-z. Nat Commun. 2023. PMID: 37699896 Free PMC article.
-
Occurrence of Microplastics in Most Consumed Fruits and Vegetables from Turkey and Public Risk Assessment for Consumers.Life (Basel). 2023 Aug 4;13(8):1686. doi: 10.3390/life13081686. Life (Basel). 2023. PMID: 37629543 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources