First characterization and risk assessment of microplastics in the endangered Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor): Implications for conservation strategies.

ABSTRACT: Microplastic (MP) pollution has become a global environmental concern due to its ubiquitous presence and potential threats to ecosystems. Cetaceans, as top predators, have served as sentinel species for monitoring ecosystem changes and as flagship species for establishing environmental conservation strategies. Here, we investigated MPs for the first time in the complete gastrointestinal tract of five individuals of an endangered Indus River dolphins (Platanista minor) stranded along the Indus River from 2019-2022. MPs were detected from all examined specimens with an average of 286.4 ± 109.1 MPs per individual, indicating the potential pathways for the accumulation of MPs due to prey consumption and unintentional ingestion during food uptake in Indus River dolphin. The properties of MPs de

SUBMITTER: Ali A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12459785 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature