Scientists have discovered tiny bits of plastic in mussels in oceans across the globe, from supposedly pristine Arctic waters near Norway to the coasts of China, Chile, Canada, Britain, and Belgium, Reuters reported. The findings from several recent surveys are the latest evidence that plastic pollution isn’t just ending up in marine environments, but also in the food we eat.
Scientists have discovered tiny bits of plastic in mussels in oceans across the globe, from supposedly pristine Arctic waters near Norway to the coasts of China, Chile, Canada, Britain, and Belgium, Reuters reported. The findings from several recent surveys are the latest evidence that plastic pollution isn’t just ending up in marine environments, but also in the food we eat.
“Microplastics have been found in mussels everywhere scientists have looked,” said Amy Lusher, a scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA).
In a study released earlier this month, Lusher and her colleagues at NIVA reported finding plastics in more than 76 percent of blue mussels sampled at various points along the Norwegian coast. Each mollusk contained on average 1.8 pieces of microplastic — fragments measuring smaller than 5 millimeters long.
Continue reading at Yale Environment 360
Photo: Blue mussels. CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
