© Oona Lönnsted Larval perch from the Baltic Sea that has filled its stomach with microplastic waste particles.
In a new study, published in
Science, researchers from Uppsala University found that larval fish exposed to microplastic particles during development
displayed changed behaviors and stunted growth which lead to greatly increased mortality rates. The researchers discovered that larval perch that had access to microplastic particles only ate plastic and ignored their natural food source of free-swimming zooplankton.
Microplastic
particles (defined as
plastic particles <5mm in size) originate from large plastic waste products that fragment into smaller pieces, or from manufactured plastics of microscopic size (e.g., microbeads in personal care products). These microscopic waste particles reach oceans via waterways and lakes and accumulate in high concentrations in shallow coastal areas.
Today there is increasing concern that the accumulation of microplastic waste particles could affect the functioning of marine ecosystems, but our knowledge of the impacts of microplastic fragments on marine animals is limited.
For the first time, scientists have now been able to show that development of fish is threatened by microplastic pollution.'Fish reared in different concentrations of microplastic particles have
reduced hatching rates and display abnormal behaviors. The microplastic particle levels tested in the current study are similar to what is found in many coastal habitats in Sweden and elsewhere in the world today' says marine biologist, Oona Lönnstedt, lead author of the article.
Larval perch exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic polystyrene particles displayed stunted growth rates. The authors found that this was related to larval feeding preferences as
perch that had access to microplastic particles only ate plastic and ignored their natural food source of free-swimming zooplankton.
'This is the first time an animal has been found to preferentially feed on plastic particles and is cause for concern', says Professor Peter Eklöv, co-author of the study.
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