Field measurements reveal exposure risk to microplastic ingestion by filter-feeding megafauna

Abstract

Microparticles, such as microplastics and microfibers, are ubiquitous in marine food webs. Filter-feeding megafauna may be at extreme risk of exposure to microplastics, but neither the amount nor pathway of microplastic ingestion are well understood. Here, we combine depth-integrated microplastic data from the California Current Ecosystem with high-resolution foraging measurements from 191 tag deployments on blue, fin, and humpback whales to quantify plastic ingestion rates and routes of exposure. We find that baleen whales predominantly feed at depths of 50–250 m, coinciding with the highest measured microplastic concentrations in the pelagic ecosystem. Nearly all (99%) microplastic ingestion is predicted to occur via trophic transfer. We predict that fish-feeding whales are less exposed to microplastic ingestion than krill-feeding whales. Per day, a krill-obligate blue whale may ingest 10 million pieces of microplastic, while a fish-feeding humpback whale likely ingests 200,000 pieces of microplastic. For species struggling to recover from historical whaling alongside other anthropogenic pressures, our findings suggest that the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors require further attention.

Direct Quantification of Nanoplastics Neurotoxicity by Single‐Vesicle Electrochemistry

“…Plastic pollution has emerged as a pervasive global environmental threat, among which microplastics are attracting intensive attention due to their ease in spreading, uptake by various living creatures and accumulation inside biosystems [1] . The ingestion/inhalation of microplastics has been shown in a variety of organisms ranging from invertebrate [2–3] to higher plants [4–6] and mammals [7–8] . When plastic particles are further sized down to nanoplastics, they could penetrate cell membranes and initiate subcellular abnormalities [9–11] .…”

Unveiling the Microfiber Release Footprint: Guiding Control Strategies in the Textile Production Industry

“…3,4 Notably, trophic transfer is implicated as a predominant pathway for microplastic ingestion, with larger marine mammals such as blue whale estimated to consume up to millions of microplastic particles daily. 5 A crucial subset of MPs, microfibers, 6 predominantly emanate from synthetic textiles, accounting for approximately 35% of the annual microplastic efflux into oceans. 7,8 These slender, elongated particles may exert differential ecological impacts compared to those of other geometries such as fragments or spheres.…”

“…Currently, the ocean floor harbors over 14 million metric tons of microplastics, with a staggering 1.5 million metric tons being added each year . Microplastic ingestion has been linked to deleterious effects ranging from organ damage to suffocation, compromised growth, and reproductive fitness in aquatic organisms. , Notably, trophic transfer is implicated as a predominant pathway for microplastic ingestion, with larger marine mammals such as blue whale estimated to consume up to millions of microplastic particles daily …”

First Assessment of Micro-Litter Ingested by Dolphins, Sea Turtles and Monk Seals Found Stranded along the Coasts of Samos Island, Greece

“…On a global scale, the highest percentage of marine litter consists of plastics [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. The major impacts of plastics on marine fauna are a result of ingestion [ 9 ], entanglement [ 10 ] and chemical pollution [ 11 ] affecting, among other things, resource acquisition, health and reproductive output [ 12 ]. Over the last half-century, along with increasing global plastic production [ 13 ], research efforts have also increased, as shown by the rising number of peer-reviewed literature and meta-analyses.…”