The bottlenose dolphins of Sarasota bay are known to be friendly and curious—and a draw for tourists. But new research shows the dolphins can't escape manmade chemicals, which are accumulating in their bodies and potentially impacting their health.

A study published this week in the journal American Geophysical Union found that phthalates, a common class of chemical additives found in many of the goods inside our homes—such as plastics, cosmetics, and paints—are also present in bottlenose dolphins.

From 2016 to 2017, researchers from the College of Charleston and Chicago Zoological Society collected urine samples from 17 dolphins found in the bay. Urine allowed researchers to see chemicals that were still present anywhere from three to six months after the dolphin came