Ethan Clarke
Animals, including fish, birds, turtles, seals, whales, and camels, are known to eat plastic. While the exact reasons for this are not fully understood, it is believed that animals eat plastic because it looks like food, smells like food, or because it is readily available. For example, sea turtles often mistake clear plastic bags for jellyfish, and the smell of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which is emitted by algae, can trick seabirds into thinking that plastic is krill. In addition, animals that feed on smaller animals that have ingested plastic may also end up consuming plastic themselves. This has led to the deaths of many animals, either by starvation or intestinal blockage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Animals eat plastic because | It smells like food |
| It looks like food | |
| It's there and they don't know any better | |
| It sounds like food | |
| Examples of animals that eat plastic | Fish, birds, sea turtles, seals, whales, camels, albatross, flesh-footed shearwaters, northern fulmar, anchovies, humpback whales, blue whales, Hawaiian monk seals, Pacific loggerhead sea turtles, oysters, scallops, mussels, blue crabs, sharks, dolphins, finches, sperm whales, pilot whales, beaked whales, squid, etc. |
| Impact | Animals eat less, obtain less energy, and weaken |
| Larger pieces of plastic can block their gastrointestinal tract | |
| Plastic is ground into small pieces in the stomach and then scattered everywhere | |
| Plastic can cause intestinal injury and death | |
| Plastic can transfer up the food chain to bigger fish, marine mammals, and human seafood eaters | |
| Plastic can carry harmful pollutants or absorb pollutants and/or chemicals that are in the water around them |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic debris in oceans often looks like food to marine animals
Marine animals are known to eat plastic because it resembles their food. Sea turtles, for example, often mistake flimsy, clear plastic bags for jellyfish. Other marine animals, including fish, eat rice-sized microplastics broken down by sunlight and waves because they resemble the small particles they usually eat.
Albatross chicks have been found dead with plastic in their stomachs, with no food in them. Sea turtles can choke on plastic, suffer internal injuries, and die, or starve by thinking they are full from eating plastic. Research indicates that half of the sea turtles worldwide have ingested plastic.
Some whales, such as baleen whales, have natural filters for their food. The brush-like baleen they have instead of teeth and their narrow throats prevent them from ingesting anything larger than krill, a small crustacean that makes up most of their diet. This helps explain why they don't end up beached with stomachs full of debris. However, smaller plastic particles may still pass through their baleen.
Deep-diving toothed whales, such as sperm whales, pilot whales, and beaked whales, are found dead on beaches with stomachs full of plastic. These species hunt deep in the ocean, sometimes more than 1,600 feet below the surface, where it is pitch black. They use echolocation to hunt for food, typically squid. It is possible that plastic trash sounds like food to these whales.
Seabirds are especially at risk of eating plastic. A study by Australian scientists concluded that virtually all seabirds have consumed plastic. Seabirds that nest in underground burrows, such as albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters, rely heavily on their sense of smell to navigate. As algae break down in the ocean, they emit a sulfur odor known as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which attracts seabirds looking for krill. Floating plastic debris provides a platform for algae to thrive, emitting the DMS odor and attracting seabirds in search of food into an "olfactory trap."
Plastic debris in the ocean has been increasing rapidly, roughly doubling every decade. More than 200 animal species have been documented consuming plastic, and the problem is expected to worsen as wildlife continues to encounter human trash.
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Some plastic emits a sulphur odour that attracts animals
Marine plastic debris often emits a sulphur odour that attracts seabirds, according to a study by Matthew Sovaca, a doctoral student at the University of California, Davis. Seabirds are especially at risk of consuming plastic because it looks like food. Sea turtles, for example, often mistake flimsy, clear plastic bags for jellyfish.
Algae, which is consumed by krill, emits a stinky sulphur compound called dimethyl sulfide (DMS) as it breaks down in the ocean. Krill is a small crustacean that is the primary food source for many seabirds. As the algae break down, it coats floating plastic debris, which provides a perfect platform for algae to thrive. Seabirds, in search of krill, are led into an "olfactory trap", according to Sovaca. Instead of feeding on krill, they end up consuming plastic.
The study also found that the birds most attracted to the DMS odour are the albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters that are most affected by plastic consumption. Many of these birds nest in underground burrows, and juvenile birds spend many months on the ground, relying heavily on their sense of smell to navigate.
While the study focused on seabirds, some fish species, including whale sharks and sea turtles, also use DMS as a foraging signal, making them vulnerable to ingesting plastics.
The problem of plastic consumption by marine animals is not limited to seabirds and fish. More than 200 animal species have been documented consuming plastic, including turtles, whales, seals, birds, and fish. The consequences of plastic consumption can be debilitating and even deadly, leading to malnutrition, starvation, gut blockage, and intestinal perforation.
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Animals that eat plastic weaken and may starve
Animals often eat plastic because they are unable to distinguish it from food. Filter feeders like plankton, shellfish, baleen whales, and lugworms cannot tell the difference. Fish eat plastic because they mistake it for fish eggs, while turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish.
Animals that eat plastic suffer and often die as a result. Plastic fills their stomachs, reducing their feeling of hunger. This leads to poor nutrition and starvation. Larger pieces of plastic can block their gastrointestinal tract, making excretion impossible. In some cases, plastic consumption reduces stomach storage volume, making it difficult for animals to eat. For example, Laysan albatross chicks that ingested large amounts of plastic were found to have lower weights as the plastic prevented them from eating full meals.
Plastic can also pierce internal organs, causing internal bleeding and infection. It can get stuck in an animal's digestive system, leading to a false sense of fullness and reducing their urge to feed. This can result in chronic, unrelenting hunger and weaken the animal. For example, a sperm whale that washed up in Indonesia in 2018 had 115 cups, 25 bags, four bottles, and two slippers in its stomach.
Plastic debris does not decompose but breaks down into tiny microplastic particles less than five millimeters long. These microplastics can pass through animals' digestive systems and be expelled without consequence. However, they have been found in hundreds of species, including sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. Tests have shown that microplastics can cause liver and cell damage and disrupt reproductive systems.
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Plastic can block the gastrointestinal tract of animals
Animals often eat plastic because they are unable to distinguish it from food. Filter feeders like plankton, shellfish, baleen whales, and organisms that live under beach sand, such as lugworms, cannot make this distinction. Fish may mistake plastic for fish eggs, while turtles see plastic bags as jellyfish. Plastic debris coated with food waste increases the likelihood of animals consuming it.
Plastic ingestion can have severe consequences for animals, including blocking their gastrointestinal tracts. Larger pieces of plastic can obstruct the gastrointestinal tract, preventing excretion and leading to fatal blockages. This was evident in a wild elephant in Periyar, India, which died from plastic ingestion, with significant amounts of plastic blocking its intestines and causing internal bleeding and organ failure. Similarly, a young green turtle that washed up on the coast of Brazil had 3,267 pieces of plastic in its gut and another 308 pieces in its stomach, contributing to its death.
Whales, in particular, have been found with substantial amounts of plastic in their stomachs, sometimes weighing over 200 pounds. This plastic can form clumps in their digestive systems, leading to starvation and death. Deep-diving toothed whales, such as sperm whales, pilot whales, and beaked whales, are among the most affected, possibly because plastic trash sounds like food to them.
Microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are another concern. They can pass through the digestive systems of animals without being expelled. However, they have been found in hundreds of species, including sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. Microplastics can interact with the gastrointestinal tract, potentially affecting nutrient absorption, gut microbiota, and digestive efficiency. They may also carry other chemical pollutants, increasing their toxic effects on animals.
The presence of microplastics in the environment is widespread, contaminating soil, water sources, and the food we grow. This leads to terrestrial animals consuming microplastics, causing potential harm to their health and nutrition. Chlorinated plastic, in particular, can release harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater, further exacerbating the issue.
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Plastic travels up the food chain from smaller to larger predators
Marine animals are known to eat plastic because it looks like food. Sea turtles, for instance, often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish. Seabirds are especially at risk, with a study concluding that virtually all seabirds have consumed plastic. Some animals, like anchovies, may be attracted to plastic because it smells like food.
A study by Matthew Sovaca, a doctoral student at the University of California, Davis, found that DMS, the "dinner bell" infochemical, is a strong predictor of plastic consumption by marine animals. Odor extraction tests confirmed that three common varieties of plastic acquired a "DMS signature" in less than a month, making it more likely for animals to mistake plastic for food.
Once ingested, plastic can cause animals to eat less, obtain less energy, and weaken. Larger pieces of plastic can also block their gastrointestinal tract, leading to starvation. In some cases, plastic is ground into small pieces in the stomach and then scattered, as seen with the northern fulmar, which spreads millions of plastic pieces every year.
The impact of plastic ingestion is more severe for larger predators higher up in the food chain. A study found that a single plastic particle can adsorb up to one million times more toxic chemicals than the water around it. Biomagnification occurs when these chemicals build up in the fatty tissues of animals that have eaten other contaminated species, resulting in higher concentrations of toxins in apex predators such as orcas. Orcas have been found with high levels of chemicals in their fatty tissues and breast milk, which is passed on to their young.
Thus, plastic travels up the food chain from smaller to larger predators, with the accumulation of toxins increasing in species higher up the food chain.
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Frequently asked questions
Animals eat plastic because it looks like food. Sea turtles, for example, often mistake flimsy, clear plastic bags for jellyfish. Other marine animals, including fish, eat rice-sized microplastics because they resemble the small particles they normally eat.
No, animals also eat plastic because of how it smells. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a stinky sulfur odor emitted by algae as it breaks down naturally in the ocean, attracts sea birds in search of krill. Floating plastic debris provides the perfect platform for algae, and as the algae breaks down, the DMS odor leads birds into an "olfactory trap".
Eating plastic can cause intestinal injury and death. It can also cause a false sense of fullness, leading to starvation. Plastic can also block an animal's gastrointestinal tract, preventing excretion. In some cases, plastic is ground into small pieces in the stomach and then scattered.
More than 200 animal species have been documented consuming plastic, including turtles, whales, seals, birds, and fish. Seabirds are especially at risk, with a study concluding that virtually all seabirds have consumed plastic.
To stop animals from eating plastic, it is important to reduce plastic pollution, especially in the oceans. Individuals can reduce their plastic consumption and properly dispose of plastic waste. Companies that produce plastic consumer goods can also be held accountable for their runoff.
