title: Assessing the potential health impacts of the 2003 and 2007 firestorms on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops trucatus) in San Diego Bay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Firestorms negatively affected air quality throughout San Diego County during 2003 and 2007, including the San Diego Bay, which houses the Navy's bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the potential impact of the 2003 and 2007 fires on dolphin health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hematology and serum chemistry values were evaluated retrospectively among Navy dolphins the year and month before; during; and the month after the 2003 and 2007 fires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both 2003 and 2007 fires were associated with lower calcium either during or the month post-fire compared to the control periods. During and the month following the 2003 fire, dolphins had higher serum carbon dioxide compared to the control periods. Dolphins during and the month following the 2007 fire had lower absolute or percent neutrophils and higher chloride. The 2007 fire was also associated with increased percent eosinophils during the fire and higher percent monocytes and bilirubin the month following the fire compared to the control periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with what has been previously reported in humans and other animals, this study supports that fire smoke inhalation may have mild effects on dolphin physiology, including calcium homeostasis, lung function and immune response.
authors.affiliation: National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA. stephanie.venn-watson@nmmf.org
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venn-Watson
authors.forename: Cynthia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Teri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rowles
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays; D001663:Bilirubin; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000097:blood*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002140:California; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D001663:Bilirubin; D002118:Calcium