Lugworms find microplastic pollution not to their tastes

Tiny bits of plastic trash could spell big trouble for some of the smallest and most crucial members of the marine ecosystem according to scientific findings released today. Research conducted by Plymouth University and the University of Exeter has revealed the unpalatable situation confronting the lugworm when it is exposed to high levels of microplastic in ocean sediments. A study by the University of Exeter has shown that elevated levels cause lugworms to eat less, and suffer from reduced energy levels. While a complementary study from Plymouth has shown that ingesting microplastics can give the marine animals a harmful diet of hydrocarbons, antimicrobials and flame retardants. The two reports are published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on December 2nd, and highlight the threats facing the worms, who play a key ecological role as an important source of food for other animals. Professor Richard Thompson, of the School of Marine Science and Engineering at Plymouth, and project lead for the work, said: "These chemicals are persistent, meaning they could accumulate in the tissue of organisms and take a long time to break down. Our laboratory studies provide the first clear evidence that microplastics could cause harm and show that this could result from both physical presence of ingested plastic and chemical transfer.