A team of researchers from the City University of Hong Kong has warned of the presence of contaminants from electronic devices in the bodies and brains of dolphins and porpoises found dead on the city’s beaches.
The team, led by associate professor Yuhe He, identified traces of liquid crystal monomers (LCM) in the animals — synthetic compounds used in the production of screens for televisions, laptops and mobile phones.
The researchers analysed 63 samples collected from 16 Chinese white dolphins and 26 Indo-Pacific finless porpoises found between 2007 and 2021 along various coastal areas of Hong Kong. Measurable concentrations of LCM were detected in 88% of samples, primarily in fatty tissue, followed by muscle and brain tissue.
The presence of these compounds in the cetaceans’ brains was considered “alarming,” as it represents the first evidence of these substances’ ability to cross the blood-brain barrier — the mechanism that protects the nervous system in animals and humans. According to the researchers, these substances may interfere with DNA replication and cause oxidative stress, with possible adverse neurological effects.
The study suggests the LCMs may have reached the sea from electronic waste landfills or through wastewater. Earlier research by the same specialist had already identified high concentrations of these compounds in sediments in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour and the Pearl River estuary.
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Environmentalists attribute a 76% decline in the local dolphin population over the past two decades — currently estimated at around 2,000 animals in the region — to habitat degradation and pollution.
The scientists called for stronger policies on electronic waste management, including mobile phones, and the promotion of recycling. Since 2018, Hong Kong has had a responsible management system for waste electrical and electronic equipment to prevent illegal disposal in landfills, covering televisions, computers and monitors — however, mobile phones are not yet covered by this regulation.
