Plastic Polluting Oceans, Making Worms Sick

Tiny bits of plastics in oceans make lugworms sick, two studies have recently reported.

Researchers from Plymouth University and the University of Exeter looked at how marine lugworms were affected by microplastics in the oceans.

Stephanie Wright from the University of Exeter found that lugworms eat less and spend more energy when exposed to plastic.

Mark Anthony Browne at Plymouth University said that lugworms ingest harmful chemicals such as antimicrobials, and flame retardants via small bits of plastics. Over time, these chemicals accumulate in their bodies, making them sick.

"These chemicals are persistent, meaning they could accumulate in the tissue of organisms and take a long time to break down," said Richard Thompson of Plymouth University, according to a news release. "Our laboratory studies provide the first clear evidence that microplastics could cause harm and show that this could result from both the physical presence of ingested plastic and chemical transfer. Our next steps will be to establish the full implications of these findings for organisms in natural habitats."

Since lugworms are an important source of food for many species, their illness affects those creatures dependant on them.

Also, lugworms are kind of like 'earthworms of the sea,' churning sediments and making nutrients available for other organisms.

"If worms in contaminated environments were to reduce feeding levels by an amount comparable to that seen in that lab, it would mean significantly less turnover of sediment. In an area the size of the Wadden Sea, for instance, sediment turnover could drop by more than 130,000 liters each year," Wright said in a news release

The study is published in the journal Current Biology.                                                                 

Plastic debris in oceans is well-documented. Most of the debris comes from bags, cans and other trash along with fish lines. Synthetic fabric and cleansers are other major sources of plastic.

The "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" was first described by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1988 and shows the level of pollution in the Pacific.