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Microplastic in a macro filter feeder: Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae
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Researchers documented the first confirmed presence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of a baleen whale (humpback whale), finding multiple polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET in particle sizes from 1 mm to 17 cm, reflecting both the diversity of marine plastic pollution and the unselective filter-feeding strategy of these large marine mammals.
Marine filter feeders are exposed to microplastic because of their selection of small particles as food source. Baleen whales feed by filtering small particles from large water volumes. Macroplastic was found in baleen whales before. This study is the first to show the presence of microplastic in intestines of a baleen whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Contents of its gastrointestinal tract were sieved, dissolved in 10% potassium hydroxide and washed. From the remaining dried material, potential synthetic polymer particles were selected based on density and appearance, and analysed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Several polymer types (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon) were found, in varying particle shapes: sheets, fragments and threads with a size of 1mm to 17cm. This diversity in polymer types and particle shapes, can be interpreted as a representation of the varying characteristics of marine plastic and the unselective way of ingestion by M. novaeangliae.
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Ingestion of microplastics by fish and other prey organisms of cetaceans, exemplified for two large baleen whale species
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Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in the prey species of minke and sei whales, finding microplastics were widespread in krill, fish, and other whale food. Since cetaceans consume large quantities of these prey, they are likely ingesting significant amounts of microplastics indirectly through their diet.
Are baleen whales exposed to the threat of microplastics? A case study of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
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This case study estimated how many microplastics Mediterranean fin whales and basking sharks might ingest through filter feeding, using feeding rate data and measured microplastic concentrations. The study raised concern that large filter feeders accumulate significant plastic loads and that the associated chemical burden from sorbed pollutants may pose health risks to these protected species.
Microplastics in the digestive tracts of 7 whale species
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Researchers examined microplastic pollution in the digestive tracts of 12 individual whales across seven species, including freshwater and nearshore species. The study characterized microplastic pollution levels and types across different parts of the digestive system, providing data on how large marine mammals are exposed to microplastic contamination.
A Quantitative Analysis of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Odontocetes in the Southeast Region of the United States
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Researchers quantified microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of toothed whales from the southeastern United States. The study found microplastics present in all examined specimens, indicating that these marine mammals are routinely ingesting microplastic particles from their ocean environment.
Microplastics in large whales occasionally found in German waters
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Researchers examined microplastic occurrence in intestinal and fecal samples from 18 whales and dolphins stranded on German and Danish North Sea and Baltic Sea coastlines between 2016 and 2022, finding an average of 4.6 MPs in odontocetes and 3.3 MPs in mysticetes per sample, with polyamide and polyester the dominant polymers and equal proportions of fragments and fibers.
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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.