fish in the ocean at an early age have adapted to eat plastic waste, just as the children get used to eating unhealthy fast food, according to BBC .
Swedish researchers have found that the availability of sea water of high concentration of particles of polystyrene is addictive to them fry grouper. Their article about it was published in the journal Science.V result, it slows their growth and makes them more vulnerable to predators, scientists believe.
Therefore, the researchers of the leading countries of the world are calling for a ban on the use in cosmetic products of plastic microgranules. Indeed, in recent years, there are more warning signs of increasing concentrations of plastic debris in the oceans. According to a study published last year, annually in the oceans comes to 8 million tons of plastic.
Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, chemical and mechanical processes of destruction under the blows of the waves, this plastic garbage quickly breaks down into smaller particles.
particles smaller than 5 mm are called microplastics. This term also includes microspheres used in cosmetic products, such as scrubs, products for peeling or cleaning gels.
Biologists have long warned that the microparticles can accumulate in the digestive marine animal system and release toxic substances.
researchers from Sweden conducted a series of experiments, in which analyzed the growth of juvenile redfish by feeding them plastic microparticles in various concentrations.
in the absence of such particles is about 96% of eggs successfully transformed into fry. The water tanks with a high concentration of microplastics this figure decreased to 81%
Those juveniles who hatch in that littered the water, appeared smaller, moved slowly and had poorer ability to navigate the environment, says the head of a group of scientists Dr. Una Lonnshtedt from the University of Uppsala.
at a meeting with predators about 50% of juveniles who have grown clean water, survived for days. Fry is grown in tanks with very high concentration of microparticles in the same period fell all.
But the most unexpected for scientists were data about the preferences in food, which changed in the new habitat of fish.
« all the fry were able to feed on zooplankton, but they preferred to eat the plastic particles. Probably, plastic has a chemical or physical attraction, which stimulates nutrient reflex in fish «, – says Dr. Lonnshtedt
« Roughly speaking, the plastic makes them think that this is some kind of a highly food. This is very similar to the behavior of teenagers who love to fill your stomach nonsense «, – adds the scientist
The study authors attributed a decrease in the number of fish species such as sea bass and pike in the Baltic Sea, in the last 20. years with an increase in mortality of young members of these species. They argue that if the plastic microparticles really affect the growth and behavior of fish fingerlings in different species, it will have a tremendous impact on marine ecosystems.
now banned the use of plastic microgranules in cosmetic products in the United States, and in Europe’s growing struggle for the introduction of a similar ban
« This is not about pharmaceutical products, and just about cosmetics -. of mascara for the eyes, and some types of lipstick «, – says Dr. Lonnshtedt .
in the UK, also distributed at the government level, the voices of those who propose to introduce a unilateral ban on the microgranules before this is done in the European Union. This will be discussed next week at a meeting of environmental assessment committee at the House of Commons.
In general, it is important to say that the land and the ocean connect rivers flowing into the sea, and bearing a variety of pollutants. Not disintegrating upon contact with soil chemicals, petroleum products such as oil, fertilizers (especially phosphates and nitrates), insecticides and herbicides by leaching into rivers and then into the ocean. As a result, the ocean turns into a dumping site of this “cocktail” of nutrients and toxins.
For example, the North Sea Research has shown that about 65% of the pollutants found there were brought by rivers. More 25% of the pollutants came from the atmosphere (including 7,000 tons of lead from the exhausts of cars), 10% – from direct discharges (mainly sewage), and the rest – from sinks and waste discharges from ships
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