Researchers have detected liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), the chemicals used in LCD screens, in the tissues of endangered dolphins and porpoises.
Sadly, these include traces inside the brain. This is the first evidence that LCMs from discarded electronics can bioaccumulate in marine mammals, and raises fresh concerns about how everyday devices may be contaminating coastal food webs and posing risks to animal and human health.
The team of researchers analyzed tissue samples collected between 2007 and 2021 from Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and finless porpoises in the northern South China Sea.
The scientists analyzed blubber, muscle, liver, kidney and brain for 62 individual LCMs and found that a small number of compounds accounted for the bulk of detected residues. The team found that the highest concentration was in blubber, but measurable amounts were present in other organs, including, and most alarmingly, the brain. Which means that some LCMs can cross the blood-brain barrier.
In terms of sources, the chemical fingerprints point to television and computer screens as the primary LCM sources, with smaller contributions from smartphones.
Commenting on the findings, Yuhe He, a researcher at City University of Hong Kong and a corresponding author of the study, stated:
“Our research reveals that LCMs from everyday electronics are not just pollution — they’re accumulating in the brains of endangered dolphins and porpoises.
“This is a wake-up call: The chemicals powering our devices are now infiltrating marine life, and we must act now on e-waste to protect ocean health and, ultimately, ourselves.”
You can read the original research published in Environmental Science & Technology to learn more.
