Trace Elements in <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>: Assessment of Marine Environmental Pollution and Dolphin Health Status

Heavy metals are environmental contaminants and can easily accumulate and biomagnify in various marine species (fishes and mammalians) at the top of the aquatic food chain. Among marine mammalians, the striped dolphin (<i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>) is the most abundant cetacean in the Mediterranean Sea and is considered to be a sentinel species to monitor the environmental marine pollution. In this study, the contents of toxic metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, Hg, and As), micro-elements (Ni, Cr, Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, Se and Zn) and macro-elements (Na, Ca, K, Mg and P) were evaluated by ICP-MS analysis in several organs/tissues (lung, skin, muscle and liver) of <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>. The assessment of marine environmental pollution and dolphins health status was carried out through further analysis of the same specific parameters such as the metal pollution index (MPI) and coefficient of condition (K). Finally, the correlation between toxic metals and metalloids and essential micro-elements, expressed as molar ratios, was analyzed to evaluate the detoxifying ability (effectiveness) of Zn, Se and Cu. Data obtained showed the presence of toxic metals and metalloids analyzed in the <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> samples but the MPI values suggested a low environmental contamination of the Mediterranean Sea where dolphins lived. The content of micro- and macro-elements was found to be in a normal range for this species and predictive of dolphins good health status, as confirmed by the coefficient of condition K. However, the correlation between toxic and essential metals, expressed as molar ratios, showed that the following toxic metals cannot be detoxified by the essential metals: ⁶⁶Zn/²⁰¹Hg, ⁸²Se/²⁰¹Hg, ⁶³Cu/²⁰¹Hg and ⁶⁶Zn/⁵²Cr, ⁸²Se/⁵²Cr, ⁶³Cu/⁵²Cr. Therefore, this study highlights the key role of dolphin <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> to assess marine pollution and the importance of analyzing the complete mineral profile to evaluate the animal health status.