Plastic is toxic to marine ecosystems

Recent research by British scientists shows that small plastic waste will become a threat to the biodiversity of the marine environment.

Plastic waste discharged into the marine environment will harm the marine ecosystem.

Illustration: phys.org

According to a research team from the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter, UK, tiny plastic particles discharged into the sea, about 5 mm in diameter or smaller, will carry pollutants and chemical additives into the gut of sandworms. When absorbing these plastic particles, sandworms will gradually lose the ability to digest other foods and lose more energy.

Meanwhile, sandworms are an important food source for many marine species. The decline in their numbers and the risk of disease from exposure to toxic chemicals will have a significant impact on organisms living in the marine environment.

Over time, many toxic chemicals in small plastic particles will accumulate in the sandworm's body, causing them to lose their useful functions to the surrounding ecosystem.

Sandworms are also considered the earthworms of the sea, with the ability to stir up sediments such as sand, gravel, mud and provide nutrients for many other creatures, Nature World News quoted Mark Anthony Browne of Plymouth University as saying.

When plastic particles are released into the environment, they accumulate a large amount of pollutants that are prohibited from being discharged, said Mark Browne, an ecologist at the US-based Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. This process makes the released plastic particles both a source of pollution to the environment and can also accumulate other dirty chemicals.

According to the BBC, an estimated 150 million tons of plastic waste disappears from waterways around the world every year. Plastic waste dumped into the ocean is mostly from bags, plastic cans, containers, synthetic fabrics and other unused plastic items that wash up on the coast.

Scientists say this is the first study to highlight the dangers of toxic substances from plastic particles to marine life.

According to vnexrpess