It has been suggested that 10 per cent of plastic which is thrown away ends up in the marine environment
The tiny plastic particles polluting our seas are not only orally ingested by marine creatures, but also enter their systems through their gills, according to a new study led by the University of Exeter.
Scientists also discovered that when microplastics are drawn in through this method they take over six times longer to leave the body compared with standard digestion.
Lead author Dr Andrew Watts of Biosciences at the University of Exeter said: “Many studies on microplastics only consider ingestion as a route of uptake into animals. The results we have just published stress other routes such as ventilation. We have shown this for crabs, but the same could apply for other crustaceans, molluscs and fish – simply any animal which draws water into a gill-like structure to carry out gas exchange.
“This is highly important from an ecological point of view, as if these plastics are retained longer within the animal there is more chance of them being passed up the food chain.”
The Latest on: Microplastics
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The Latest on: Microplastics
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- New technique removes microplastics from seawateron May 18, 2021 at 12:27 am
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As much as the idea might be unpalatable, all of our diets are now likely to include tiny servings of plastic.
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- Water firms are main source of microplastics in UK rivers, study sayson May 13, 2021 at 8:10 am
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- Answer Man: Microplastics in local water? In the French Broad?on May 13, 2021 at 2:01 am
A reader asks if micro-plastics have been found in local drinking water, waterways or the wastewater treatment plant.
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According to the US Geological Survey microplastics are found in 12% of freshwater fish in the United States. They are also found at a rate of 112,000 particles for every square mile of water in the ...
- Microplastics Found in Europe’s Largest Ice Cap – In a Remote and Pristine Area of Vatnajökull Glacieron May 11, 2021 at 12:31 am
In a recent article in Sustainability, scientists from Reykjavik University (RU), the University of Gothenburg, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office describe their finding of microplastic in a ...
- Health concerns after researchers find microplastics in instant riceon May 9, 2021 at 6:40 am
Researchers have found all rice bought in stores contains microplastics but instant packet rice contains the most, leading to calls for more regulation.
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