Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumAutopsies On 50 Marine Mammals Washed Up On UK Beaches Show Microplastics In Every Gut
Researchers who examined 50 marine mammals that had washed up on Britains shores say they found microplastics in the guts of every single animal. In a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports last month, a research team from the UKs University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory detailed their findings after studying the digestive tracts of 50 individuals from 10 species of dolphins, seals, and whales that had been stranded on the coast of Britain. The researchers sought to determine the amount of microplastics and polymers the animals might have ingested as well as whether plastics are expelled from their bodies (via defecation, for instance) or if they are retained within their digestive tracts.
Microplastics were ubiquitous with particles detected in every animal examined, the authors of the study write. Just 5.5 microplastic particles were found in each animal, on average, which suggests that the particles might be simply passing through the marine mammals bodies, the researchers said. But the animals stomachs were found to contain more microplastics than their intestines, pointing to a potential site of temporary retention, they added.
Its shocking but not surprising that every animal had ingested microplastics, the studys lead author, Sarah Nelms of the University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said in a statement. The number of particles in each animal was relatively low (average of 5.5 particles per animal), suggesting they eventually pass through the digestive system, or are regurgitated. We dont yet know what effects the microplastics, or the chemicals on and in them, might have on marine mammals.
The vast majority of the particles discovered in the marine mammals guts 84 percent were fibers, which come from sources like clothes, fishing nets, and toothbrushes. The other 16 percent were plastic fragments, which could have possibly come from food packaging and plastic bottles.
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https://news.mongabay.com/2019/02/plastics-found-in-dolphins-seals-and-whales-in-uk-waters/