Microplastics could enter our food via insects - Sussex researchers find
Tiny plastics in soil from the likes of clothing and paint were discovered in the stomachs of slugs, snails, and worms - which are then eaten by larger animals.
Microplastics could be making their way into our food via INSECTS - University of Sussex researchers have found.
Tiny plastics in soil from the likes of clothing and paint were discovered in the stomachs of slugs, snails, and worms - which are then eaten by larger animals.
Researchers analysed more than 580 samples of invertebrates from 51 sites across Sussex.
Microplastics were found in nearly 12%, with the highest levels recorded in earthworms (30%) and slugs and snails (24%).
The researchers say these findings show plastic pollution is not just a marine issue, and the chemicals released as plastics break down are equally dangerous when present in soil.
Previous studies have shown ingesting plastic can lead to stunted growth, reduced fertility and changes in liver, kidney, and stomach function in various species, raising alarm among conservationists.
“We were surprised by just how widespread this plastic contamination is,” said lead author Emily Thrift, Ecology Doctoral Tutor at the University of Sussex.
“This is the first study to find plastics consistently turning up across an entire community of land invertebrates.
"Similar plastic types were found in hedgehog faeces in our earlier research and they seem to be entering the diet of birds, mammals, and reptiles via their invertebrate prey.”
Prof Fiona Mathews, Environmental Biologist at the University of Sussex added:
“Microplastics are now ubiquitous at every level of the food web. Attention is currently focused on litter as the main source of contamination, but these findings suggest multiple sources ranging from clothing to paint.
"There is now an urgent need to understand how different plastics are damaging ecosystems and to cut the volume entering the environment.”