Metallothioneins (MT) concentration, renal damage, and bone malformations were investigated in 38 adult
Tursiops aduncus carcasses to determine any associations with cadmium, copper, zinc, mercury, lead and selenium. Significantly higher concentrations of cadmium, copper, and zinc in the liver wereobserved in dolphins showing evidence of more advanced renal damage. No significant differences in metal or selenium concentrations in the liver were observed between groups differing in level of bone malformations. Some dolphins displayed evidence of toxicity and knowledge of metal toxicity pathways were used to elucidate the cause of these abnormalities. Two dolphins had high metal burdens, high MT concentrations, renal damage, and evidence of bone malformations, indicating possible severe and prolonged metal toxicity. One dolphin showed evidence of renal damage, but the lack of any other symptoms suggests that this was unlikely to be caused by metal toxicity. We recommend examining a range of metal toxicity symptoms simultaneously to aid in distinguishing metal toxicity from unrelated aetiologies.
The current work follows from a previous paper which documented high levels of some metals in South Australian bottlenose dolphins: Lavery TJ, Butterfield N, Kemper CM, Reid T, Sanderson K. 2008. Metals and selenium in the liver and bone of three dolphin species from South Australia, 1988 - 2004. Science of the Total Environment, 390, 77 - 85.
Kindest thanks for your interest,
Trish J Lavery
PhD candidate
Flinders University
https://www.scieng.flinders.edu.au/biology/people/academic/mitchell_j/msl/mswebsite_ppl_lavery.htm
http://www.scieng.flinders.edu.au/biology/people/postgrad/lavery_t/index.html