Microplastics are a growing environmental concern, and the effects of this waste product on coral are highlighted in research published in Chemosphere from an international team of researchers including UConn marine science professor Senjie Lin.
Plastic discarded into the environment breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments, called microplastics once they measure less than five millimeters. Microplastics are widespread throughout the environment and are ingested by animals at all levels of the food web, starting from the smallest organisms all the way to apex predators, including humans.
Plastics contain hazardous compounds such as bisphenol A (BPA), flame retardants, and other known carcinogens or endocrine disruptors. Plastics can also easily absorb toxins from the environment, such as trace metals and organic pollutants like PCBs.
In marine environments, very small animals such as protists, phytoplankton, and others are also subject to the detrimental impacts of microplastics, which presents a significant problem for coral, which rely on symbiotic relationships between different organisms, says Lin.
Read more at University of Connecticut
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