Humans may be causing dolphins to get Alzheimer’s-like disease, scientists warn
Human sewage in ocean linked to brain degeneration in dolphins
- A new study suggests that algal blooms, exacerbated by sewage discharges, could be causing Alzheimer's-like brain degeneration in bottlenose dolphins.
- Scientists found toxins such as BMAA and neurolarthyrogen in the brains of stranded dolphins from Florida, with concentrations significantly higher during bloom seasons.
- Many of these dolphins exhibited brain tissue anomalies, including β-amyloid plaques and tau protein clusters, and gene changes consistent with human Alzheimer's disease.
- The disorientation caused by this condition is suspected to contribute to dolphin strandings, mirroring behaviour seen in some humans with dementia.
- Researchers warn that dolphins, as environmental sentinels, highlight potential human health risks from increasing harmful algal blooms, which are intensifying due to climate change and pollution.