WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A recent study has raised concerns about a lesser-known form of electronic pollution, known as liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), accumulating in the bodies of endangered marine animals.
These chemical compounds are essential to modern display technologies and are commonly used in everyday devices such as televisions, laptops, and smartphones. LCMs help control the passage of light through screens, enabling the sharp and vibrant images consumers now expect from digital displays. However, their extensive use has also led to their widespread presence in the environment.
Scientists have detected LCMs in indoor air, household dust, and wastewater, which can eventually flow into oceans and coastal ecosystems. While earlier research has linked LCM exposure to potential health risks in humans and some aquatic organisms, their movement through marine food chains, especially their impact on top predators, has remained largely unexplored.
To address this issue, researcher Bo Liang and his team examined tissue samples from Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and finless porpoises in the South China Sea, a crucial habitat for these threatened species. The samples, collected over 14 years from 2007 to 2021, were tested for 62 different types of LCMs across various tissues, including blubber, muscle, liver, kidney, and brain.
The findings, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, revealed that traces of LCMs were found in blubber, the animals' fatty tissue, and in vital organs, including the brain.
'In additional lab tests, several common LCMs, including the major four in these samples, altered gene activity such as those related to DNA repair and cell division in cultured dolphin cells,' the study revealed. 'These results suggest that these compounds could negatively impact marine mammals.'
In light of these findings, researchers are urging more in-depth studies to better understand how LCM pollution affects wildlife. They are also calling on policymakers to take swift action by strengthening electronic waste management systems.
'Our research reveals that LCMs from everyday electronics are not just pollution - they're accumulating in the brains of endangered dolphins and porpoises,' said corresponding author Yuhe He, a researcher at City University of Hong Kong.
'This is a wake-up call: The chemicals powering our devices are now infiltrating marine life, and we must act now on e-waste to protect ocean health and, ultimately, ourselves.'
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
