# Investigating Trophic Exposure to Marine Microplastics and Plasticizers in a Sentinel Species and the Implications for Seafood Safety

> **NIH NIH R15** · COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON · 2022 · $447,164

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This proposed study will expose undergraduate students to hands-on, rigorous research that explores the
intersections of oceans, wildlife, and human health. Specifically, students will participate in research to
understand the risk of exposure to microplastics and plasticizers (i.e., phthalates) from contaminated seafood.
For decades, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have been used as sentinels of marine pollution risks for
coastal communities that rely on seafood. Due to the recent detection of prevalent phthalate exposure in coastal
bottlenose dolphins, a sentinel-species approach will be used to address three specific aims: 1) assess the
potential for trophic exposure to microplastics; 2) determine if phthalate exposure is an indicator of microplastic
exposure; and 3) evaluate spatiotemporal differences in phthalate exposure. This undergraduate research
experience will provide an opportunity for students to engage in innovative studies of a federally-protected
species, participate in ecotoxicological analyses in state-of-the-art laboratories, develop marketable statistical
skills, and enhance their scientific communication through contributions to publications and presentations.
Students will also be exposed to a broad range of biomedical fields as they will work closely with scientists with
expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics, biology and conservation, ecotoxicology, and environmental health.
 The oceans contain trillions of plastic particles, mostly microplastics (i.e., particles < 5 mm diameter;
approximately 93% of particles), which have been detected in organisms at all levels of the marine food web.
These discoveries suggest that seafood safety is being threatened and public health compromised, as
microplastic ingestion can lead to gastrointestinal inflammation, altered metabolism, and oxidative stress.
Plastics can also leach endocrine-disrupting phthalates, which are associated with infertility, abnormal
reproductive organ development, increased breast cancer risk, and poor pregnancy outcomes. The long-term
goal of this study is to examine if microplastic-contaminated seafood could be an additional source of human
exposure to harmful xenobiotics, and if this exposure varies spatiotemporally. Study aims will be addressed via
serial cross-sectional sampling of free-ranging dolphins and their preferred prey in Sarasota Bay, FL. For Aim 1,
microplastics will be characterized in dolphin gastric and fecal samples, as well as fish muscle and
gastrointestinal tissues. Similarities in particle size, type, and polymer composition will suggest trophic exposure.
For Aim 2, phthalate metabolites will be quantified in dolphin urine and fish metabolic tissues to examine
correlations with ingested microplastics quantities from Aim 1. For Aim 3, urinary phthalate metabolite
concentrations will be compared between two distinct dolphin populations (Sarasota Bay, FL; Barataria Bay, LA)
and across time (2010-2024) to u...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10439010
- **Project number:** 1R15ES034169-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Leslie B. Hart
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $447,164
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-06-16 → 2025-12-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10439010

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10439010, Investigating Trophic Exposure to Marine Microplastics and Plasticizers in a Sentinel Species and the Implications for Seafood Safety (1R15ES034169-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10439010. Licensed CC0.

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