High Levels Of Microplastics Have Been Found In The Guts Of Indus River Dolphins

Even one of the world’s rarest freshwater dolphins is not safe from the scourge of plastic pollution. For the first time, researchers have discovered microplastics inside the stomachs of endangered Indus River dolphins. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The Indus River dolphin ( Platanista minor ) is a freshwater species found mainly in Pakistan with a small population in India. Wonderfully adapted to the river’s muddy and murky waters, these long-snouted dolphins have largely lost the use of their eyes and are considered to be functionally blind.

Once common in the region’s river system, they’re now listed as “endangered” under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Their biggest threats have long been dams that