Plasticosis: The first disease caused by plastics
It was just recorded by scientists
We are well aware of the fact that microplastics are found in every corner of the world. They have been identified in over 1,200 marine species and are found in almost every corner of the food chain. What we don’t know yet are the health effects of eating or inhaling these synthetic fibers and pieces. Now, researchers have detailed and quantified the effects of plastic consumption on one of the world’s most plastic-polluted birds. So they found that Ardenna carneipes, a seabird that lives on Lord Howe Island, 600 kilometers off the east coast of Australia, suffers from a disease they called Plasticosis .
The new study clearly shows the potential of plastic to cause the formation of scar tissue in the organs of wild, free-ranging animals, which is crucial to their health and survival. As plastic pollutants continue to rise and plastic pollution becomes increasingly prevalent in all environments worldwide, exposure of all organisms to plastic is inevitable.
The seabirds in question were found to be suffering a slow and painful death from the moment of their hatching, despite the vast distance that separates them from human civilization. When researchers necropsied the birds’ carcasses, they found extensive wounds that had healed with scar tissue in their stomachs. They are most likely caused by tiny, sharp pieces of plastic accumulating in the bird’s stomach. About 90% of the Lord Howe Island birds that were necropsied had plastic in their stomachs.
The researchers named this fibrosis “Plasticosis” to put it in the same category as other diseases of the species, such as pneumoconiosis and asbestosis, in which pollutants also cause scar tissue to form, but in the lungs.
Stomach damage from plastics has only been identified in the last couple of years, and most of the research is taking place in the lab, on rodents. Research has shown that ingested 5mm plastics can block, ulcerate or perforate the digestive tract, reducing the ability to take in food and in the worst cases leading the animal to starve to death. This new research is the first to show that Plasticosis affects wild animals.
The plastics in the birds’ stomachs leave no room for new food, while the scar tissue that prevails does not allow the digestive system to secrete enzymes or absorb nutrients.
The effects of eating plastic may not be the same for all animal stomachs, but the scientists’ concern is palpable, even for humans. Recent research has shown that those suffering from inflammatory bowel disease tend to have increased levels of microplastics in their stool. Among 52 study participants, those with the highest exposure to microplastics had the worst symptoms. But because the research was small in size, it cannot establish cause and effect, with scientists urgently calling for more research into the matter.
Plastic consumption has complex and serious impacts, many of which we are only now beginning to document and understand.
Plasticosis may be the first wildlife disease linked to plastics, but it may not be the last.
The research was published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials .
