Preliminary Results Of Anthropogenic Contaminants In Queensland’s Coastal Dolphins: Levels And Toxicological Effects.

In this study we used biopsy samples to assess contaminants levels (OCs and PAHs) and biomarker responses (CYP1A1-CYP2B) in three Australian inshore dolphin species: Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni), Indo-Pacific humpback (Sousa chinensis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Preliminary results showed a significance geographical difference in the induction of cytochrome CYP1A1 and CYP2B when samples from the Tursiops truncatus from Mediterranean seas were compared to samples from Australia regardless the species. Significantly higher levels of PAHs were found in samples from Queensland (QLD) compared to samples from the Mediterranean Sea (MS). On contrary OCs levels were generally smaller, but no significant difference in PCBs was found among QLD and MS samples.