Chloe Zhang
Plastic has entered the food chain, affecting billions of individual animals. Animals carry microplastics in their bodies, which are then ingested by other animals, in a process called 'trophic transfer'. These microplastics can move through the food chain, accumulating in animal fat and tissue through a process called bioaccumulation. This can cause toxic contamination, with toxins accumulating in fatty tissues, especially in apex predators such as orcas. Plastic can also physically harm animals, for example, by blocking their digestive tracts. It can also disrupt the natural balance, for example, by slowing down fish, making them easy prey.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of individual animals affected by plastic | Billions |
| Number of marine species that swallow or get caught in plastic in 1997 | 267 |
| Number of marine species that swallow or get caught in plastic in 2015 | 557 |
| Number of marine species that swallow or get caught in plastic currently | Above 2000 |
| Plastic's impact on marine apex predators | Threat |
| Plastic's impact on great white sharks and orcas | Threat |
| Plastic's impact on orcas' fatty tissues | High deposits of chemicals |
| Plastic's impact on orcas' breast milk | High deposits of chemicals |
| Marine plastics' contribution to the death of marine mammals annually | 100,000 |
| Plastic's impact on turtles | Mistake plastic bags for food |
| Plastic's impact on whales | Found with plastic in the stomach |
| Plastic's impact on arrow worms | Consume plastic microfibers |
| Plastic's impact on amphipods | Found with plastic in their bodies |
| Plastic's impact on fish | Abnormal behaviour, slower eating, hyperactive behaviour |
| Plastic's impact on birds | Ingestion of plastic |
| Plastic's impact on humans | Ingestion of plastic |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic enters the food chain through trophic transfer
Plastic has entered the food chain, affecting animals at various trophic levels. Trophic transfer refers to the process by which microplastics are ingested by animals and subsequently passed on to other animals in the food chain. This transfer occurs when one animal eats another, allowing microplastics to move up the food chain.
At lower trophic levels in marine environments, microplastics have been detected in zooplankton, chaetognatha, ichthyoplankton, copepods, and salps. These organisms are then consumed by predators, leading to the transfer of microplastics to higher trophic levels. Invertebrates such as polychaetes, crustaceans, echinoderms, and bivalves, as well as vertebrates like fish, seabirds, and mammals, are all susceptible to ingesting microplastics through trophic transfer.
One example of trophic transfer in action is the case of arrow worms. These transparent, torpedo-shaped creatures consume plastic microfibers, which can block their digestive tracts and prevent them from consuming actual food. When arrow worms are eaten by predators higher up the food chain, the plastic they carry is passed on. Amphipods, which inhabit the deepest depths of the Mariana Trench, have been found to contain plastic, specifically microfibers from synthetic clothing.
Swedish researchers have also discovered that nanoplastics can enter the brains of fish, leading to abnormal behavior. This occurs when fish consume water fleas that have ingested nanoplastics from algae. The accumulation of plastic in the organs of long-lived animals can have significant ecological implications, as it can disrupt the natural balance by making these animals easier prey.
The presence of microplastics in the food chain raises concerns about the associated toxins and chemicals. Plastics tend to bind with environmental pollutants, and these toxins can accumulate in animal fat and tissue through bioaccumulation. Furthermore, chemicals added during plastic production can leach out, even when the plastic is inside an animal's body. The potential impacts of these toxins on animal health and the overall food chain are areas of ongoing research.
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Plastic affects the behaviour of animals
Plastic has entered the food chain and is affecting the behaviour of animals. Animals carry microplastics in their bodies, which are then ingested by other animals when they are eaten. This process is called 'trophic transfer'.
The number of individual animals affected by plastic would be difficult to estimate, but it is predicted to run into the billions. In 2015, Dutch researchers found that the number of marine species that swallow or get caught in plastic had doubled since 1997, from 267 to 557. This number is now believed to be above 2000, with the caveat that only a limited number of animal species have been investigated.
Plastic in the environment tends to bind with environmental pollutants. As plastic moves through the food chain, the attached toxins can accumulate in animal fat and tissue through a process called bioaccumulation. The higher up the food chain, the greater the concentration of toxins. For example, orcas have been found with some of the highest deposits of chemicals in their fatty tissues and breast milk.
In addition, chemicals are often added to plastic during the production process to give them desired properties. These chemicals can leak from the plastic, even when inside the body of an animal. Studies have found that the ingestion of microplastics has resulted in adverse effects on animals, including:
- Reproduction in marine animals being affected by exposure to polystyrene microplastics.
- Endocrine disruption in adult freshwater fish from ingestion of PE.
- Altered gene expression was observed in male fish exposed to plastics.
Plastic can also physically block the digestive tracts of animals, preventing the intake of real food. For example, arrow worms have been found with plastic microfibers blocking their digestive tracts. This can result in starvation and make animals more vulnerable to predators.
Furthermore, plastic can cause abnormal behaviour in animals. A laboratory study found that fish that ingested nanoplastics displayed slower eating and hyperactive behaviour. Slower-swimming fish are easier prey, and this can disrupt the natural balance.
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Plastic can cause death and injury
Plastic is harmful to animals in many ways, from entanglement and ingestion to toxic contamination. It is estimated that marine plastics contribute to the deaths of over 100,000 marine mammals annually. Large plastic items can entangle marine mammals and fish, preventing escape and leading to starvation, injury, and increased vulnerability to predators. Discarded fishing nets can smother and break coral reefs, disrupting the ecosystem and preventing healthy growth.
Smaller plastic fragments can be mistaken for food by seabirds and other marine species, causing suffocation, starvation, and toxic contamination. Plastic additives, such as flame retardants, have been found in the tissues of seabirds, demonstrating the direct ingestion of plastics and their associated toxins. These toxins can accumulate in animal fat and tissue through bioaccumulation, leading to adverse health effects.
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles, are a significant concern. Due to their small size, they can be ingested by various marine organisms, including arrow worms, fish, bivalves, and crustaceans. These microplastics can block the digestive tracts of smaller organisms, leading to starvation and death. They can also pass through the digestive system and accumulate in the organs, causing abnormal behavior in fish, such as slower eating and hyperactivity. This disruption in behavior can make them easier prey, further disrupting the natural balance.
As plastic moves up the food chain, the concentration of toxins increases. Apex predators like orcas have been found with high levels of chemicals in their fatty tissues and breast milk, which they feed to their young. The accumulation of toxins in apex predators demonstrates the severe consequences of plastic pollution in the food chain.
While the full extent of plastic's impact on animal health is still being studied, the presence of any amount of plastic inside an animal is concerning. Plastic's persistence in the environment and its ability to carry toxins pose a serious threat to marine and freshwater ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them.
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Plastic can cause toxic contamination
Plastic waste in the environment has already entered the food chain. Animals, from arrow worms to seabirds and whales, carry microplastics in their bodies. When they are eaten, those microplastics are also ingested by predators, a process known as trophic transfer.
Microplastics are highly persistent in the environment and may pose a serious threat to marine and freshwater organisms, as well as to humans who are at the top of the food chain. When plastic ends up in the environment, it tends to bind with environmental pollutants. As plastic moves through the food chain, the attached toxins can accumulate in animal fat and tissue through a process called bioaccumulation.
The number of individual animals affected by plastic would be difficult to estimate but is likely to run into the billions. In 2015, researchers found that the number of marine species that swallow or get caught in plastic had doubled since 1997, from 267 to over 2000, and this number is likely an underestimate.
The accumulation of plastic in living organs can also take place in nature, especially in long-lived animals. Plastic can disrupt the natural balance, for example, by slowing down fish, making them easy prey.
Recent research has found that microplastics are capable of being transferred from organism to organism, wreaking havoc all the way up the marine food web, possibly all the way to humans. Studies have confirmed unusually high levels of microplastics in seafood, and several studies have confirmed adverse effects on animals, including:
- Reproduction in marine animals is affected by exposure to polystyrene microplastics.
- Endocrine disruption in adult freshwater fish from ingestion of PE.
- Altered gene expression was observed in male fish exposed to plastics.
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Plastic affects reproduction in marine animals
Plastic waste has reached every corner of the natural world, from the Mariana Trench to Mount Everest. Once plastic enters the sea, it has no boundaries – waves and storms can carry plastics to even the furthest reaches of the ocean. Marine animals ingest plastic every day, and it is estimated that marine plastics contribute to the death of more than 100,000 marine mammals each year.
Plastic affects marine animals' reproduction in several ways. Firstly, plastic waste can alter the temperatures of the sand where sea turtles lay their eggs, thereby impacting their reproduction rates. Sea turtles are also among the marine animals that mistake plastic for prey, leading to ingestion and starvation. In a recent Mediterranean study, almost half of the examined loggerhead sea turtles had consumed some type of plastic, with one turtle ingesting 67 pieces. This ingestion of plastic can cause internal injuries, leading to scarring called fibrosis, or plasticosis.
Plastic entanglement can also cause marine animals to suffer injuries, loss of limbs, and even death. This can further lead to starvation and predator vulnerability, as entanglement can make it difficult for animals to escape or feed. Large items of plastic can entangle marine mammals and fish, while discarded fishing nets can smother and break coral reefs.
Furthermore, the toxins and chemicals associated with plastics can have detrimental effects on reproduction. Plastics tend to bind with environmental pollutants, and these toxins can accumulate in animal fat and tissue through bioaccumulation. As a result, apex predators at the top of the food chain, such as orcas, have been found with high levels of chemicals in their fatty tissues and breast milk, which they feed to their young. This process of biomagnification, where toxins build up in fatty tissues, poses a significant threat to the reproduction and survival of marine species.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic enters the food chain when animals ingest microplastics or nanoplastics, which are small plastic pieces less than 5mm long. These plastics can block digestive tracts or be transferred to other animals when one animal is eaten by another, a process called "trophic transfer".
Plastic can affect animals in the food chain in several ways. It can cause physical harm, such as blocking digestive tracts and leading to starvation, or it can cause abnormal behaviour in fish, making them slower and thus easier prey. Plastic can also carry toxins and chemicals that can accumulate in animal fat and tissue, potentially leading to toxic contamination.
As humans are at the top of the food chain, we are exposed to higher levels of microplastics when we consume contaminated seafood. Studies have shown that the chemicals in plastics can interfere with our hormones, causing reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders.
