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Biovectoring of plastic by white storks from a landfill to a complex of salt ponds and marshes
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Researchers tracked white storks traveling between a landfill and a coastal wetland in Spain, finding they transported an estimated 99 kilograms and over 2 million particles of plastic into the wetland in 2022 by ingesting and then regurgitating plastic debris. The study highlights that animals can be significant vectors for spreading plastic pollution far from its original source, a transport pathway often overlooked in pollution research.
Research into plastic pollution has extensively focused on abiotic vectors, overlooking transport by animals. Opportunistic birds, such as white storks (Ciconia ciconia) often forage on landfills, where plastic abounds. We assess plastic loading by ingestion and regurgitation of landfill plastic in Cadiz Bay, a major stopover area for migratory white storks in south-west Spain. On average, we counted 599 storks per day moving between a landfill and a complex of salt ponds and marshes, where they regurgitated pellets that each contained a mean of 0.47 g of plastic debris, dominated by polyethylene. Modelling reliant on GPS tracking estimated that 99 kg and >2 million particles of plastic were biovectored into the wetland during 2022, with seasonal peaks that followed migration patterns. GPS data enabled the correction of field censuses and the identification of plastic deposition hotspots. This study highlights the important role that biovectoring plays in plastic transport into coastal wetlands.
More Papers Like This
Plastic biovectoring by two closely-related gull species to coastal marshes
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Researchers found that seagulls in Spain are unknowingly carrying huge amounts of plastic—an estimated 270 kg, or over 8 million tiny plastic pieces, in just one winter—from cities and landfills into a protected wetland, simply by eating there and then flying to nest or roost elsewhere. This matters because it shows plastic pollution can spread through wildlife into "clean" natural areas, contaminating ecosystems (and the food chains within them) far from where the trash originated, which has implications for the broader spread of microplastics into the environments and food supplies we all depend on.
Assessing plastic ingestion in the White stork (Ciconia ciconia) through regurgitated pellets
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Researchers collected and analyzed regurgitated pellets from a white stork colony in central Spain to assess plastic and microplastic ingestion levels and their relationship to landfill use. About 3.44% of pellet content consisted of plastic, confirming that storks feeding at landfills ingest meaningful quantities of plastic materials, with chemical composition analysis identifying the polymer types involved.
Seabirds as biovectors in the transport of plastic debris across ecosystem borders: A case study from the Humboldt Current Upwelling System
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This study examined how seabirds transport plastic debris across ecosystem boundaries, finding that foraging at sea and nesting on land creates significant cross-ecosystem transfer of plastics through regurgitation, feces, and nest materials.
White Stork Pellets: Non-Invasive Solution to Monitor Anthropogenic Particle Pollution
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Researchers used white stork (Ciconia ciconia) pellets as a non-invasive monitoring tool for anthropogenic particle pollution, analyzing regurgitated pellets to characterize ingested microplastic and synthetic fiber loads. The method proved viable for detecting plastic ingestion without animal sacrifice and revealed widespread exposure of storks to anthropogenic particles across their European foraging range.
Tracing microplastics in environmental sources and migratory shorebirds along the Central Asian Flyway
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Researchers tracked microplastic contamination along migratory bird routes in central Asia, testing mudflats, mangroves, and the birds themselves. They found microplastics in both the environment and the digestive tracts of shorebirds, showing that these pollutants are moving through coastal food webs and may be carried across continents by migrating birds.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.