Impressive results for the MicroPOW project, supported since 2021 by Pure Ocean

The proliferation of microplastics is a real scourge for wildlife, both on land and in the sea. In Australia, scientists working on the MicroPow project are investigating the impact of plastic ingestion on the organs, tissues and cells of seabirds. An initial expedition to Lord Howe Island, far from civilization and human activity, led to a shocking discovery: a disease caused by plastics, plasticosis. This study shows that the accumulation of plastic particles in the digestive tract of birds causes continuous abrasion of the animals’ internal tissues. These tiny cuts never heal and deform organs, with major repercussions on growth, reproduction and survival.

The publication of this work met with an international scientific and media response: 193 secondary publications, 151 press articles, and 596 downloads of the full text on Twitter. And with good reason: most of its conclusions are applicable to human beings… The MicroPOW team is now back on the island! The aim of this second expedition is to analyze the chemical compounds involved, and their biological markers, to detect signs of plasticosis in birds as early as possible.

The scientific article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389423003722?via%3Dihub