Dolphins have been dying of banned toxic chemicals since the 1980s

Dolphins in the seas around the UK are dying of increased water temperatures and a combination of toxic chemicals that Britain banned in the 1980s.

Polyclorainated bifanels (PCBs) are a long -lasting frequent chemical pollutants, once widely used in industrial construction. They interfere with animal breeding and immune response and reason cancer In humans.

In a new study, researchers showed that high levels of PCB in the body and sea surface temperature have increased.Delphinus), First for marine mammals.

The ocean is facing “a triple planet crisis” – climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss – but we often look at the dangers in isolation, say say Rosie Williams In the Zoological Society, London.

Williams and his colleagues analyze post -mortem data from 836 Common Dolphins trapped in the UK between 1990 and 2020 to assess the impact of these interlinking dangers.

They found that the rise of 1 mg PCB per kilogram of blurr was associated with a 1.6 percent increase in the possibility of infectious diseases – such as gastritis, entertainment, bacterial infections, encephalitis and pneumonia – are becoming fatal. The increase in sea surface temperature in every 1 ° C correspond to a 14 percent increase in mortality risk.

According to the study, the threshold where PCB Blue concentrations have a significant effect on the risk of dolphin disease, 22 mg/kg, but the average concentration in samples was 32.15 mg/kg.

Because dolphins survive for a long time, are widely distributed around the UK and are high in the food chain, they are a good indicator species to show how the danger can affect other animals.

“Their condition at the top of the food web means that their hunting stole toxins in their blur, which provides a focused snapshot of chemical pollutants in the sea – although unfortunately at the cost of his health,” says Managing Director of Thia Taylor. Sussex dolphin project,

Despite being banned in the UK in 1981 and internationally in 2001, PCBs are still washing into the sea. “They are still entering the environment through stockpiles and are often a by -product or other manufacturing processes,” Williams says.

It is very difficult to clean the PCB. “Because they are very frequent, they are a nightmare to get rid of,” she says. “Surely not an easy fix.”

Some researchers are searching for dragging as a cleaning technique, while others focus on improving the effectiveness of water treatment plants in removing frequent chemicals.

These findings indicate that if there is another broad group of so -called chemicals, action is not taken to ban Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluorolkyl substances (PFAs).

“When we cannot reverse the already contamination, it is important to prevent further chemical incense in the environment,” says Taylor.