Electrical waste chemicals from television and computer screens are accumulating in the brains and tissues of dolphins and porpoises, according to new research published in Environmental Science & Technology.

Researchers Bo Liang, Yuhe He, and their colleagues analysed tissue samples from  Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and finless porpoises collected between 2007 and 2021 in the South China Sea, an important habitat for these endangered marine animals. 

They tested for the presence of liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in dolphin and porpoise blubber, muscle, liver, kidney, and brain tissue samples. 

LCMs control how light passes through handheld and large display screens, producing the increasingly sharp images consumers have grown to expect from their electronic devices.

Prior studies identified similar LCMs in the fish and invertebrates that these dolphins and porpoises eat, which the researchers say supports the idea that the pollutants enter through their diet rather than directly from water.

Finding the presence of these chemicals in the dolphin and porpoises’ brains also demonstrates their ability to cross the blood brain barrier. 

E-waste is a fast growing environmental problem, having nearly doubled since 2010. In 2022, a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced – enough waste to fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, which lined up bumper-to-bumper would encircle the equator, according to a report from ITU and UNITAR.

Due to the widespread use of electronic devices, LCMs are prolific: found in indoor air, dust and even wastewater – eventually making their way into coastal environments. 

Researchers have said the LCMs found in dolphins and porpoises likely originated from television and computer screens, with smaller contributions from smartphones.

Although the contaminants were most concentrated in blubber, the researchers were surprised to discover small amounts in other organs, particularly the brain, revealing potential health hazards such as neurotoxic risks.

In additional lab tests, several common LCMs, including the major four in these samples, altered gene activity such as those related to DNA repair and cell division in cultured dolphin cells. 

The researchers are calling for further investigation into the effects of LCM pollution on wildlife, highlighting the need for urgent regulatory action and improved e-waste disposal.

Yuhe He, a researcher at City University of Hong Kong and a corresponding author of the study said: “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.”

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