Tiny pieces of plastic can ferry around fecal pathogens in saltwater, researchers report today (April 26) in Scientific Reports, suggesting that plastic pollution may play a role in the marine transmission of terrestrial parasites. The findings point to a novel potential danger of microplastics, whose effects have proven difficult to assess.
“The intersection of microplastics and three serious [parasites] in seawater should raise red flags for everyone from beachgoers to wildlife conservationists,” University of Hawai‘i marine mammal physiological ecologist Mary Donahue, who wasn’t involved in the work, tells New Scientist.
Experts have long expressed concern about the rising abundance of plastics in the environment. Iconic images of sea creatures wrapped in soda can rings or with straws protruding from their nostrils have sounded the alarm on macroplastics, but even more prevalent are microplastics—the tiny pieces less than 5 mm in diameter that result from the breakdown of larger chunks or ...
