Latest news with #ProfFionaMathews
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Microplastics found in insects for first time
Microplastics have been found in insects for the first time, raising fears that the entire food chain has been contaminated by plastic pollution. Researchers have discovered fragments of plastic in the stomachs of beetles, slugs, snails and earthworms, with the pollutants then making their way up the food chain to birds, mammals, reptiles, and ultimately humans. The study, by scientists at Sussex and Exeter universities, is the first to find plastics consistently turning up across an entire ecosystem of land invertebrates. The researchers say the chemicals released by degrading plastics in soil pose serious risks to biodiversity, with previous studies linking ingestion of plastic to stunted growth, organ damage, and reduced fertility in animals. Their study analysed more than 580 insect samples from 51 sites including suburban, grassland and agricultural areas. It detected microplastics in nearly 12 per cent (one in eight) of the specimens. Earthworms had the highest contamination rate at 30 per cent, followed by slugs and snails at 24 per cent. One common garden black beetle had ingested a piece of nylon that was 4.5mm long, a quarter its body length. Polyester, commonly shed from clothing, was the most frequently detected plastic type. Researchers suspect it has come from dried human sewage sludge which is used as fertiliser by some farmers and contains fibres from washing machines. Prof Fiona Mathews, an environmental biologist at the University of Sussex, said the research suggested microplastics were now 'ubiquitous at every level of the food web'. A food web is a complex network made up of all of the food chains in an ecosystem. Herbivores and decomposers – such as worms and slugs – were found to be the most heavily contaminated. However, carnivorous insects like ladybirds were also affected, often ingesting larger plastic particles through their prey. Emily Thrift, a PhD student at the University of Sussex and the lead researcher on the study, said the findings were 'surprising and deeply concerning'. 'This is the first study to find plastics consistently turning up across an entire community of land invertebrates,' she said. 'Similar plastic types have previously been found in hedgehog faeces and appear to be entering the diet of birds, mammals and reptiles via their invertebrate prey.' Prof Mathews said that until now attention had been focused on plastics in 'visible litter' but added that the findings 'suggest multiple hidden sources – from clothing fibres to paint particles'. 'There is now an urgent need to understand how different types of plastics are affecting ecosystems, and to take steps to reduce their release into the environment,' she said. Prof Tamara Galloway, a co-author of the study from Exeter University, said: 'To reduce the uptake of microplastics into the food web we first have to understand how it is getting there. 'Emily's results are a crucial first step to understanding this process and its consequences for wildlife.' Quarter of land insects already lost The researchers say their work, which spans six invertebrate groups and four levels of the food chain, highlights the need for broader environmental monitoring and stronger measures to limit plastic pollution. Previous studies have shown that the world has lost more than a quarter of its land-dwelling insects. The insights on plastic pollution in invertebrates follows similar research into its impact on the marine environment with more than 12 million tons of plastic dumped into the ocean annually. There are estimated to be around 51 trillion microscopic pieces of plastic in the oceans, weighing 269,000 tons. UK households throw away 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging a week, according to the Big Plastic Count 2024.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Plastic in every level of food web, say Sussex scientists
Plastic pollution is now contaminating insects at the base of terrestrial food chains, raising fresh concerns about the long-term impact on wildlife, according to a new study by the Universities of Sussex and have discovered fragments of plastic in the stomachs of beetles, slugs, snails and earthworms, with the pollutants making their way up the food chain to birds, mammals and study, described as the most comprehensive of its kind, analysed more than 580 invertebrate samples from 51 sites across Fiona Mathews, an environmental biologist at the University of Sussex, said microplastics were now "ubiquitous at every level of the food web". A food web is a complex network made up of all of the food chains in an were detected in nearly 12% of specimens, with earthworms showing the highest contamination rate at 30%, followed by slugs and snails at 24%, said the commonly shed from clothing, was the most frequently detected plastic researcher Emily Thrift, from the University of Sussex, said the findings were "surprising and deeply concerning"."This is the first study to find plastics consistently turning up across an entire community of land invertebrates," she said."Similar plastic types have previously been found in hedgehog faeces and appear to be entering the diet of birds, mammals and reptiles via their invertebrate prey."The research team warned that plastic pollution should no longer be seen as solely a marine issue. The team said the chemicals released by degrading plastics in soil pose serious risks to biodiversity, with previous studies linking ingestion of plastic to stunted growth, organ damage and reduced fertility in and decomposers – such as worms and slugs – were found to be the most heavily contaminated. However, carnivorous insects like ladybirds were also affected, often ingesting larger plastic particles through their prey. Co-author of the study Prof Tamara Galloway, from the University of Exeter, said: "To reduce the uptake of microplastics into the food web we first have to understand how it is getting there. "Emily's results are a crucial first step to understanding this process and its consequences for wildlife."Prof Mathews said the focus has often been on plastics in "visible litter" but added the findings "suggest multiple hidden sources – from clothing fibres to paint particles". "There is now an urgent need to understand how different types of plastics are affecting ecosystems, and to take steps to reduce their release into the environment," she said,The researchers say their work, which spans six invertebrate groups and four levels of the food chain, highlights the need for broader environmental monitoring and stronger measures to limit plastic pollution.
