High levels of pollutants detected in porpoises washed ashore – Portugal Resident

High levels of pollutants detected in porpoises washed ashore – Portugal Resident


University of Aveiro researchers have detected high levels of persistent organic pollutants in harbour porpoises washed up on the Portuguese coast, an academic source has revealed.

The harbour porpoise (or more loosely, freshwater dolphin) is a marine mammal species classified as “critically endangered” in the Red Book of Mammals of Mainland Portugal.

A note regarding the scientific study, which analysed samples from porpoises washed up in Portugal between 2005 and 2013, says that contaminants accumulate in the animals’ tissues and degrade slowly in the marine environment.

“The findings suggest that adult males have higher concentrations of pollutants than adult females,” it says.

Ana Sofia Tavares, a member of the research team alongside biologists Sílvia Monteiro and Catarina Eira, said that the transfer of these compounds from mothers to offspring during gestation and suckling may account for the difference.

“This situation is particularly worrying, as calves and younger animals are exposed to high levels of pollutants at a stage when their immune and metabolic systems are still underdeveloped, making them more vulnerable to the harmful effects of these substances,” they said.

The harbour porpoise population faces threats such as accidental capture in fishing nets and the loss of genetic diversity, which in turn is seen as limiting its capacity to respond to new threats, including pollution caused by emerging contaminants.

In this context, the Aveiro investigators stress the importance of continually monitoring levels of persistent organic pollution, in order to evaluate its long-term impacts, and support effective strategies for the conservation of the porpoise population.

Source: LUSA



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