Plastics in seals, dolphins and whales in Britain

Microplastics have been found in the bowels of all marine mammals examined as part of a new study on animals stranded on British coasts.

Researchers from the Exeter and Plymouth University (PML) Marine Laboratory examined 50 animals from 10 species of dolphins, seals and whales – and found microplastics (less than 5 mm) .

Most of the particles (84%) were synthetic fibers (which could come from clothes, fishing nets and toothbrushes), while the rest were fragments of food packaging and bottles. plastic.

"It's shocking – but not surprising – that every animal has ingested microplastics," said lead author Sarah Nelms, of Exeter University and PML.

"The number of particles in each animal was relatively low (average of 5.5 particles per animal), suggesting that they eventually pass through the digestive system or are regurgitated.

"We do not yet know what effects microplastics, or the chemicals that make them up, could have on marine mammals.

"More research is needed to better understand the potential impacts on animal health."

Although the animals participating in the study died from various causes, those who died of infectious diseases had a slightly higher particle count than those who died from injuries or other causes.

"We can not draw definitive conclusions about the potential biological significance of this observation," said Professor Brendan Godley of the Center for Ecology and Conservation Penryn Campus of Exeter University. in Cornwall.

"We are at the very beginning of the understanding of this ubiquitous pollutant.

"We now have a point of reference at which future studies can be compared.

"Marine mammals are ideal sentinels for our impacts on the marine environment because they usually live for a long time and many foods are at the top of the food chain – our results are not good news."

Penelope Lindeque, head of the marine plastics research group at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said: "It is disconcerting that we found microplastic in the intestines of every animal we surveyed in this study.

"Indeed, our work over the years has revealed the presence of microplastic in almost all species of marine animals we examined, from the smallest zooplankton at the base of the marine food web to fish larvae, to turtles. and now to dolphins, seals and whales.

"We do not yet know the effects of these particles on marine mammals, their small size facilitates their expulsion, but if it is unlikely that microplastics are the main threat to these species, we are still concerned about 39, impact of the bacteria. " , viruses and contaminants carried on the plastic.

"This study provides more evidence that we must all contribute to reducing the amount of plastic waste discharged into our seas and to maintaining clean, healthy and productive oceans for future generations."

In total, it is known that 26 species of marine mammals inhabit or cross British waters.

The species studied were: white-sided dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, gray seal, harbor porpoise, harbor seal, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, striped dolphin and white-nosed dolphin.

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The study, funded by Greenpeace Research Laboratories, used samples provided by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS Scheme), the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Marine Stranding Network, and the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Program. ZSL (Zoological Society of London).

The paper, published in the newspaper Scientific reports, entitled: "Microplastics in marine mammals stranded around the British coast: ubiquitous but transient?"