Researchers from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in the United States have found that micro plastic particles might be having a significant effect on the environment and the biodiversity of marine life.
Researchers from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in the United States have found that micro plastic particles might be having a significant effect on the environment and the biodiversity of marine life.
By studying the ingested plastic particles in lugworms, they found that pollutants and additive chemicals were transferred into the worm’s system (1,9,1) causing negative side effects like thermal stress and reducing the worm’s ability to consume sediment.
Estimates say that 150 million tons of micro plastics disappear worldwide from the waste stream annually.
According to Mark Browne, ecologist and co-author of the study: “We are losing a large volume of plastic and we know it is going into the environment and the assumption being made by policymakers is that this material is non-hazardous, it has got the same ranking as scraps of food.” (1,5,1)
Lugworms reportedly make upmake up nearly 32 percent of the biomass of the shoreline.
They contribute to the ecosystem by eating sediment and processing it as a way to stop the build up of silt in the water.
What do you think about the toxic effect of micro plastics on the environment?