image: Different types of microplastics including fibers, fragments, sheets, and beads were identified under a stereomicroscope, and their composition was determined using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. This morphological diversity highlights the complexity of microplastic contamination in the studied ecosystem.
Credit: Ahsaan Ali, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Microplastics have been found for the first time in the endangered Indus River dolphin, with fibers and other particles found in the GI tracts of each of five stranded individuals
Article URL: http://plos.io/3VGwlhs
Article title: First characterization and risk assessment of microplastics in the endangered Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor): Implications for conservation strategies
Author countries: China, Denmark, U.K., Pakistan.
Funding: This work was supported by the National Key Program of Research and Development, Ministry of Science and Technology (2022YFF1301600), the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32030011), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), and PI Project of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (GML2021GD0805). There was no additional external funding received for this study.
Journal
PLOS One
Article Title
First characterization and risk assessment of microplastics in the endangered Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor): Implications for conservation strategies
Article Publication Date
24-Sep-2025
COI Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.