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Effects of plastic pollution on the embryos of ocean animals

An international team led by the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Italy and the University of Exeter in the UK conducted a study that revealed detrimental effects of plastic pollution on the embryos of various ocean animals.

The research examined the impact of new PVC pellets, also commonly known as “nurdles,” on the physical development of seven different species representing major groups of ocean animals. 

The findings showed that exposure to high concentrations of PVC pellets hindered the healthy development of all seven species studied. The main process affected was morphogenesis, the process by which organisms develop their shape, leading to malformed embryos incapable of survival. Embryos exposed to elevated levels of PVC pellets displayed various abnormalities, including the failure to form shells, and halted development after initial rounds of cell division, rendering them non-viable.  

Even species that reproduce asexually by regeneration or cloning were adversely affected by high concentrations of PVC pellets, which demonstrates the widespread impact of the exposure. The study once again highlights the potentially catastrophic results of rising plastic levels in the ocean, emphasising the need for urgent action to mitigate pollution.  
While the research focused primarily on new PVC pellets, it also examined the toxic effects of plastic samples recovered from beaches. Although not as widespread as the effects of PVC pellets, high concentrations of beach plastic were found to hamper the development of molluscs, sea stars, sea urchins and sea squirts.  

Images: Getty/Shutterstock/Illustration  

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