<
https://theconversation.com/disease-causing-parasites-can-hitch-a-ride-on-plastics-and-potentially-spread-through-the-sea-new-research-suggests-181824>
"Typically when people hear about plastic pollution, they might envision
seabirds with bellies full of trash or sea turtles with plastic straws in their
noses. However, plastic pollution poses another threat that’s invisible to the
eye and has important consequences for both human and animal health.
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles present in many cosmetics, can form when
larger materials, such as clothing or fishing nets, break down in water.
Microplastics are now widespread in the ocean and have been found in fish and
shellfish, including those that people eat.
As researchers studying how waterborne pathogens spread, we wanted to better
understand what happens when microplastics and disease-causing pathogens end up
in the same body of water. In our recent study published in the journal
Scientific Reports, we found that pathogens from land can hitch a ride to the
beach on microscopic pieces of plastic, providing a new way for germs to
concentrate along coastlines and travel to the deep sea."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
