Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
exposed lugworms ( Arenicola marina ) to sand with 5% micro-
plastic that also contained common chemical pollutants (non-
ylphenol, phenanthrene) and additives (triclosan, PBDE-47)
and showed that the pollutants and additives from ingested
microplastic were present in the worms' tissues at concentra-
tions that can cause harmful effects. A  companion paper by
Stephanie Wright and colleagues found that when there is a
lot of microplastic in the sand, lugworms eat less and have
reduced energy levels. Lugworms are common benthic bur-
rowers that can comprised up to one-third of the mass of ben-
thic organisms on some shores; they churn up the sediments
like earthworms on land and are consumed by birds and fish
and used as bait by fishermen.
Worldwide, over 250 species are known to become entan-
gled or to ingest marine debris and an estimated 100,000
marine mammals and turtles are killed annually by litter.
Debris can damage habitats if it covers coral reefs, marshes, or
seagrass beds. When plastic film settles to the bottom, it can
suffocate immobile plants and animals or wrap around corals.
One piece of good news for one species is that the floating
litter provides a habitat for marine insects called sea skaters.
These relatives of pond water skaters live at the surface of the
water and lay their eggs on floating objects. They are able to
use the plastic garbage as a new site for depositing their eggs,
leading to an increase in egg densities in the North Pacific
Subtropical Gyre. Small pieces of plastic also provide habitat
for multitudes of microbes colonizing and thriving on flecks of
plastic—a new human-made environment for microbial com-
munities that has been termed the “plastisphere.”
What problems are caused by derelict fishing gear?
Lost fishing nets (made of nondegradable plastic) and traps
may settle onto the bottom and continue to trap fish for years
(this is known as ghost fishing). Lost fishing gear catches
ecologically and economically important animals, including
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