Another study has shown that microplastics can not only affect fish populations by direct consumption, but microplastics can also decrease the population of fish food sources which ultimately can cause a shift in the population density of the fish species. These studies have also shown a correlation between the ingestion of microplastics by larval fish and an increased mortality rate among those fish as a result of the plastic getting stuck and blocking the fish’s digestive tract 3. Although this is still a relatively new field of study, several lab studies have shown a link between the ingestion of microplastics with stunted growth rates, reduced appetites, and the potential for reduced reproduction rates 3. Since the topic of microplastics is still considered an emerging field of study, many of the effects of the microplastics on fish health are still unknown. How are microplastics affecting fish all around the world Research into the ecological effects of microplastics is a relatively new field of study which comes as a result of the ever-increasing input of plastic wastes into the oceans however, studies have shown that microplastics have the potential to wreak havoc on fish populations. The addition of microbeads, which are tiny pieces of polyethylene plastic used for exfoliation, to personal care products has been a practice for over fifty years until they were banned in 2015 under the Obama administration 1. There are a multitude of sources in which microplastics come from but two of the major contributors to microplastics in the environment are the natural degradation of larger pieces of plastic into smaller pieces of plastic due to exposure of solar radiation, and from the addition of microbeads to personal hygiene products 2. If when you first read the term microplastics and the thought of tiny pieces of plastic popped into your head, then you are correct! The term microplastics can be more thoroughly defined as small pieces of plastic with a length of five millimeters or less 1. What are microplastics and where do they come from?īefore we begin discussing the potential ecological impacts pf microplastics, we must first define what we mean when we say “microplastics”. Over the last few years the topic of microplastics within the environment, especially the role that they play in aquatic ecosystems, has been of rising concern to scientists because of the potential negative consequences that arise as a result of being consumed by fish. Oil wells spewing crude oil into the ocean, sea turtles choking on plastic bags, and industry pumping toxic emissions into the atmosphere through their smokestacks are some of the talked about environmental problems due to the fact that they are easily seen however, some of today’s most daunting ecological issues are comprised of things that cannot be see with the naked eye.
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