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Pinnipeds in Arctic Canada show no evidence of retained microplastic pollution
Summary
Researchers examined the stomachs of 36 Canadian Arctic walrus and additional ringed seals for microplastic contamination, finding no evidence of retained microplastics in either species. The study provides the first assessment of microplastics in Canadian walrus, but notes that soft tissue sampling may miss particles that pass through the digestive system.
As the threat of plastic pollution continues to loom heavily over the global environment, the Arctic has drawn increasing research interest as a potential sink for debris. More specific to the Canadian Arctic, it is unclear whether marine mammals accumulate microplastics (MPs: 5mm). Pinnipeds, like walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) and ringed seals (Pusa hispida), are both ecologically and culturally significant, which poses a risk to northern food security. Here, I present the first assessment of MPs in Canadian walrus by examining the stomachs of 36 animals from Nunavut. Additionally, I expand on existing literature by evaluating the stomachs of 10 ringed seals from the Northwest Territories, Canada. I detected no MPs ≥ 80µm in any of the animals. This result suggests that walrus and seals in the Canadian Arctic either do not retain MPs or are not exposed to them, which is consistent with studies from similar regions.