Sea urchin larvae raised in high levels of plastic pollution die due to developmental abnormalities, new research shows.
Sea urchin larvae raised in high levels of plastic pollution die due to developmental abnormalities, new research shows.
Scientists put fertilised urchin eggs in seawater with varying levels of plastic, and compared the effects of newly made PVC pellets (called nurdles) with fragments collected on beaches.
In all three concentrations tested (1%, 5% and 10% of plastic in seawater), PVC led to significant abnormalities and all urchin larvae died.
Beach-collected fragments at 10% concentration also killed the larvae, which developed no proper shape.
Read more at University of Exeter
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