Plankton's Plastic Consumption Amplifies Ocean Crisis, Scientists Warn

Scientists have discovered that rotifers, a type of zooplankton found in marine and fresh water, can ingest and break down microplastics. However, instead of solving the plastic pollution crisis, the rotifers may be exacerbating it by converting the microplastics into thousands of smaller and potentially more dangerous nanoplastics. Each rotifer can produce between 348,000 and 366,000 nanoplastics per day. The researchers found that rotifers from both marine and freshwater environments could ingest microplastics, break them down, and excrete nanoplastics. This discovery raises concerns about the impact of nanoplastics on aquatic life and the potential for these particles to spread throughout the environment. Further research is needed to determine the harmful effects of nanoplastics and their role in the overall plastic pollution problem.