Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Fornubuðir 5, 220, Hafnafjörður, Iceland.
Chemosphere. 2021 Sep;279:130564. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130564. Epub 2021 Apr 15.
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.
在这项研究中，我们旨在评估在冰岛西海岸觅食的长须鲸（Balaenoptera physalus）每天摄入的合成颗粒数量。为此，我们收集并分析了 25 头长须鲸胃内容物的样本，这些样本仅由北方磷虾（Meganyctiphanes norvegica）组成。发现的颗粒由纤维和碎片组成，主要为蓝色、黑色和红色，平均大小为 1.2±1.3 毫米。为了确认这些颗粒的合成性质，我们使用了微傅里叶变换红外光谱法，并与聚合物库进行了比较。在鲸鱼胃中发现的磷虾样本中合成颗粒的平均浓度为每克 0.057 个颗粒，远低于以前报道的磷虾对颗粒的吸收浓度。从这些磷虾中的浓度，我们估计北大西洋长须鲸每天摄入的合成颗粒数量在 38646±43392 到 77292±86784 个之间。尽管在这个水平上，还不可能评估合成颗粒及其相关化学物质对北大西洋长须鲸种群的影响，但这些污染物的浓度未来可能会增加，对鲸鱼和其他海洋哺乳动物可能产生不利影响。
