The presence of 14 toxic chemical components has been revealed in the blood of crocodiles in the Cape Fear River in the US state of North Carolina.
The study, which found levels of “perfluoroalkyls and polyfluoroalkyls (PFAs)” in the blood of reptiles, has raised concerns among scientists that these chemicals could harm the genetic and immune systems of these animals. .
Alligators are highly sensitive animals that provide early warning of environmental threats to humans. Scott Belcher, associate professor of biology at North Carolina State University, says alligators occasionally suffer from an infection. They get bruises but they recover quickly.
Inadequate healing of infected wounds was a concern. This led to a closer look at the relationship between exposure to PFEs and the immune system of alligators.
According to the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, PFEs are present in many of our everyday items, including dishes, shampoos, cosmetics, etc. The team, led by Scott Belcher, took blood samples from 49 crocodiles along the Cape Fear River between 2018 and 2019 to examine their health.
Their blood samples were compared with blood samples from 26 crocodiles in Lake Wakama, 48.28 km from the river.
The researchers looked at 23 PFEs and found clear differences in the types and levels of the chemical in the blood samples of the two groups.
The scientists identified an average of 10 different PFEs in the Cape Fear River samples, says Scott Bleacher. Whereas crocodiles from Lake Wakama had an average of five different PFEs.
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