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Biomagnification of persistent organic pollutants from diets and microplastics to a seabird species (Sula sula)
AI summary
This study analyzed policy debates surrounding Angola's plastic bag ban, examining stakeholder positions, implementation challenges, and economic impacts on producers and consumers. The research provides insights into how plastic regulation unfolds in Sub-Saharan African contexts with limited formal waste management infrastructure.
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Relative Importance of Microplastics as Vectors of Hydrophobic Organic Chemicals to Marine Fish and Seabirds
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Researchers used mathematical models to evaluate whether microplastics serve as meaningful delivery vehicles for toxic chemicals to marine fish and seabirds, finding that for most pollutants the microplastic pathway is negligible — though plastic additives with high fat-solubility may still pose a notable risk.
Microplastics and terrestrial birds: a review on plastic ingestion in ecological linchpins
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Researchers reviewed how microplastic pollution affects terrestrial birds — key ecological indicators — finding documented harms including intestinal blockage and developmental disruption, with implications for entire food webs since birds that ingest plastics can concentrate and transfer contamination to other species, including humans.
Differential microplastic contamination of waterbirds in a coastal region associated with trophic groups and spatial distribution
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A study of waterbird feces in southern Brazil found that shorebirds feeding in sediments had far higher microplastic loads than fish-eating birds, and contamination was worst near urban areas, with polyester and PVC the most common polymers detected. Trophic position and proximity to cities both shape how much plastic wildlife ingests, providing a natural monitoring system for tracking coastal microplastic pollution.
Reshape and relocate: seabirds as transformers and transporters of microplastics
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This study investigated whether seabirds, particularly the Northern Fulmar, reshape and relocate marine plastic debris through ingestion and mechanical grinding of plastic into smaller particles. The research explored whether this biological processing accelerates or impedes the removal of plastic litter from marine environments.
Seabird Transfer of Marine Microplastic Fibers to Terrestrial Soils Via the Accumulation of Guano at Palmyra Atoll, Northern Line Islands, Central Pacific Ocean
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Red-footed Boobies at Palmyra Atoll were found to transfer marine microplastic fibers to terrestrial soils through their guano, completing a two-vector ocean-to-land transport pathway. This documents a previously unrecognized mechanism by which seabirds act as biological vectors spreading marine microplastic contamination into remote island ecosystems far from human activity.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.