Scientists 'shocked' by high levels of microplastic pollution in England's River Thames. Researchers fear the disposal of single-use items during the coronavirus pandemic will aggravate the problem.
While public awareness about the impact of microplastics on the ocean environment is growing, the study demonstrates that it is cause for great concern in freshwater, too.
Large quantities of disposable cleaning wipes — which contain plastic fibers — were also found on the foreshore of the river in separate research by Royal Holloway University Masters student Katherine McCoy. Clams living near the build-up were found to contain high levels of plastic fibers that McCoy suggested may have originated from the wipes.
With the river and its estuary now home to over 100 species of fish, two species of seals and even sharks and seahorses, Anna Cucknell, Thames project manager at the London Zoological Society, said she was"shocked" by the findings.Microplastics can also be ingested by organisms that live in the water and spread throughout the food chain damaging the ecosystem and even getting into the food that humans eat.
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