Ocean Plastic Pollution: Impact on Marine Mammals

 A recent study reveals a staggering estimate of over 170 trillion plastic fragments littering our oceans' surface. These plastics are not merely polluting the sea but are frequently ingested by marine mammals, posing a severe ecological challenge. A research published in "Environmental Pollution" found microplastics in two-thirds of the examined marine mammals' lungs and fatty tissues.

The study involved 32 animals, either reared or stranded between 2000 and 2021, across Alaska, California, and North Carolina. The lipophilic nature of plastic, its affinity for fat, draws it to various fatty tissues in these sea mammals. Microplastics were ubiquitously present in lung tissue and three types of fatty tissue analyzed in the study.

Most of the microplastics ranged from 198 to 537 micrometers in size, with the majority being polyester fibers from textile wear and tear and polyethylene from plastic bottles. Predominantly, these fragments were blue.

A 2022 study suggests that a blue whale could ingest up to 43 kilograms of plastic daily due to its feeding process. Other cetaceans feeding on larger organisms may also consume plastics accumulated in their prey. According to Greg Merrill, the study's coordinator, some of these microplastics get excreted, while some end up in the animals' tissues, a phenomenon occurring for at least two decades.

Future research aims to conduct toxicity tests on cell lines derived from biopsied whale tissues to determine the potential harm caused by these plastics.