The New Face of the Plastics Crisis
Newcastle University research has uncovered the presence of plastic in a new species of deep-sea amphipods which has been discovered in one of the deepest places on earth. The researchers officially named the species Eurythenes plasticus in reference to the plastic it has ingested. Before our plastic waste finds its way into the bodies of marine animals, it often undergoes a long journey. Plastic waste exports frequently end up in Southeast Asia, where waste management is often insufficient or non-existent. Because most of the plastic waste cannot be recycled, it will often get burned or dumped at repositories instead. From there it finds its way into rivers and, ultimately, into the ocean. Once in the water, plastic waste breaks apart into micro plastics and spreads through the ocean where it is ingested by marine animals such as E. plasticus.