There are billions of plastic fragments in the ocean, which are very small and difficult for humans to observe with the naked eye. However, they float in the global ocean, from shallow waters to hundreds of meters deep underwater. These plastic particles, known as microplastics, are usually produced when larger plastic items such as shopping bags and food containers decompose.
In the latest research, ecologist Elliott Hassan pointed out that we have studied how marine fish (including fish consumed by humans) ingest synthetic plastic particles of varying sizes. So far, we have conducted a profound review of plastic pollution, and human behavior has caused far more damage to nature than expected. The results show that 386 known marine fish species have ingested plastic waste, of which 210 are related to commodities, but the types of plastic ingested by fish continue to increase.
The phenomenon of wild animals ingesting plastic waste is not news. The first scientific observation of this phenomenon was discovered by researchers in 1969 when they examined the stomach of a seabird. Three years later, scientists reported that fish along the southern coast of New England had ingested large amounts of plastic particles. Since then, over 100 scientific papers have described the phenomenon of many fish ingesting plastic.
Our research shows that marine fish around the world are ingesting plastics. According to 129 scientific paper reports in our database, researchers have found that 555 species of fish in global waters are ingesting microplastics. What's even more shocking is that two-thirds of these fish species directly ingest microplastics into their mouths.
Our analysis of research reports over the past 40 years shows that the amount of plastic ingested by fish is gradually increasing. In 2016, the United Nations conducted an international assessment and found that the number of marine fish containing plastic in their bodies has doubled.
Similarly, in the past decade alone, the amount of plastic ingested by all fish has doubled. Research reports published from 2010 to 2013 showed that an average of 15% of sampled fish contained plastic in their bodies; In studies published between 2017 and 2019, this proportion increased to 33%.
