<ul><li>A study by the Wildlife Institute of India indicates that Gangetic dolphins are exposed to a harmful mix of endocrine-disrupting chemicals through their diet, leading to significant bioaccumulation of pollutants in their prey.</li><li>The study found residues of banned pesticides like DDT and Lindane in the prey base of Gangetic dolphins, highlighting poor enforcement of environmental regulations in the Ganga basin.</li><li>The contamination, attributed to various sources including agriculture runoff and industrial effluents, poses a threat to the dolphins' hormonal systems and reproductive functions, increasing their risk from key pollutants like DEHP, DnBP, DDT, arsenic, mercury, and others.</li><li>The study recommends an urgent need to include these chemicals in dolphin conservation programmes and establish a national framework to assess and regulate chemical contamination in river ecosystems to ensure the survival of the endangered Gangetic dolphins.</li></ul>

Study flags chemical contamination risk to endangered Gangetic dolphins

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