Dear MARMAM list members, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our recent studies:
*Long-term assessment of trace elements in franciscana dolphins from the Río de la Plata estuary and adjacent Atlantic waters * Garcia-Garin, O., Borrell, A., Vighi, M., Aguilar, A., Valdivia, M., González, E. M., & Drago, M. (2021). Long-term assessment of trace elements in franciscana dolphins from the Río de la Plata estuary and adjacent Atlantic waters. Science of The Total Environment, 788, 147797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147797 *Abstract*: The estuary of Río de la Plata, in the eastern coast ofSouth America, is a highly anthropized area that brings a high load of contaminants to the surrounding waters, which may have detrimental effects on the local marine fauna. The franciscana dolphin (*Pontoporia blainvillei*) is a small cetacean species endemic of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN red list. In this study, we assessed the concentrations of 13 trace elements in bone samples from100 franciscana dolphins that were found stranded dead or incidentally bycaught in the Río de la Plata and adjacent coast between 1953 and 2015. Elements were, in decreasing order of mean concentrations: Zn > Sr > Fe > Al > Mn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > As > Hg > Cd > Se. The concentrations of Al, Cr and Fe were slightly higher in females than in males. The concentrations of As, Ni, and Pb significantly decreased with body length. Throughout the study period, the concentrations of Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni significantly increased, while the concentrations of As, Pb and Sr significantly decreased. The increasing trends may be due to increased inputs from river discharges, the leather industry and petroleum refineries, while the decrease in Pb may be due to the ban in the use of this element as an additive in gasoline and as component of car batteries. This investigation supports the validity of analysing trace element in bone, a tissue available in scientific collections and museums, to retrospectively examine variation over long temporal scales and thus assess long-term trends in pollution. The paper can be accessed using the following link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1d8cZB8ccqw18 <https://www.researchgate.net/deref/https%3A%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com%2Fa%2F1d8cZB8ccqw18> *Ingestion of synthetic particles by fin whales feeding off Western Iceland in summer* Garcia-Garin, O., Aguilar, A., Vighi, M., Víkingsson, G. A., Chosson, V., & Borrell, A. (2021). Ingestion of synthetic particles by fin whales feeding off Western Iceland in summer. Chemosphere, 279, 130564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130564 *Abstract*: In this study we aim to assess the daily ingestion rates of synthetic particles by the fin whales (*Balaenoptera physalus*) that feed off the western coast of Iceland. To do so, we collected and analysed samples from the stomach content of 25 fin whales, consisting solely of northern krill (*Meganyctiphanes norvegica*). The particles found consisted of fibres and fragments, mainly blue, black and red, with an average size of 1.2 ± 1.3 mm. To confirm the synthetic nature of these particles, we used Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and comparison with a polymer library. The mean concentration of synthetic particles in the krill samples found in the stomachs of whales was 0.057 particles per gram, a value much lower than that previously reported for particle uptake by krill. From this concentration in krill, we estimated that the daily intake of synthetic particles for the North Atlantic fin whale would be ranging from 38,646 ± 43,392 to 77,292 ± 86,784 particles per day. Although at this level it is not possible to assess the impact of synthetic particles and their associated chemicals on the North Atlantic fin whale population, concentrations of these contaminants are likely to increase in the future, potentially causing adverse effects on whales and other marine mammals. Please, send me an e-mail (odei.gar...@ub.edu) for the full texts. All the best, Odei Garcia-Garin
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