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The Conversation
The Conversation
Britta Baechler, Adjunct Professor, Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto

New study finds that ingesting even small amounts of plastic can be fatal for marine animals

When swallowed, plastics can block or puncture an animal’s organs or cause lethal twisting of the digestive tract, also known as torsion. (Troy Mayne/Ocean Conservancy)

Plastics are everywhere, and the ocean is no exception: 11 million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean every year, where they spread far and wide, making their way to the deepest trenches and remote Arctic islands.

We have long known that marine animals can mistake plastic bags and other plastic pollution for food. To date, every family of marine mammal and seabird, and all seven species of sea turtles, have been documented to ingest plastics — nearly 1,300 species in total.

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