14 DAY TRIAL // According to the findings of a recent investigation, pink dolphins swimming in the Pearl River estuary in China are currently exposed to worryingly high concentrations of harmful compounds.
Specifically, the aquatic animals are believed to live in an environment contaminated with both organic pollutants such as a chloride pesticide now banned in most countries, and heavy metals such as mercury, lead and arsenic.
The investigation in question was carried out by researchers working with Guangzhou-based Sun Yan-sen University, and was funded by the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation.
South China Morning Post reports that, in order to assess the health of pink dolphins living in the Pearl River estuary, the scientists taking part in this research project collected and analyzed both water and tissue samples.
The tissue samples used to draw conclusions concerning the health condition of the pink dolphin population in the Pearl River estuary all came from dolphins whose dead bodies were found washed ashore, the same source details.
These samples led the researchers to believe that, when compared to aquatic mammals in the Yangtze and the Yellow River, those in said estuary are exposed to much higher doses of pollutants and heavy metals.
“Levels of heavy metals in the sediment samples from some parts of the estuary waters are much higher than those found in the Yellow River and Yangtze Estuary,” says Professor Wu Yuping.
“All our research shows building in a dolphin's natural habitat is bad not only in terms of pollution but noise and stress from acoustic disturbances and habitat loss,” adds Dolphin Conservation Society chairman Samuel Hung Ka-yiu.
The researchers go on to say that, more often than not, a mother dolphin can pass the pollutants that come to accumulate in its body to its offspring. This can happen either during nursing, or through the umbilical cord.
They warn that, according to evidence at hand, the aquatic mammals exposed to these pollutants can experience serious health problems. Thus, their immune and reproductive systems might fail. Besides, the dolphins could end up developing tumors.