This is horrifying and disgusting. 🤮

Sometimes I think the rest of nature (what’s left of it) will erupt into cheers when humans finally go extinct.
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A new disease has been described in seabirds, but it might just be the tip of the iceberg.

Rather than being caused by viruses or bacteria, "plasticosis" is caused by small pieces of plastic which inflame the digestive tract. Over time, persistent inflammation causes tissues to become scarred and deformed, with knock-on effects on growth, digestion, and survival.

Dr. Alex Bond [@TheLabAndField], who co-authored the study, says, "While these birds can look healthy on the outside, they're not doing well on the inside."

"This study is the first time that stomach tissue has been investigated in this way and shows that plastic consumption can cause serious damage to these birds' digestive system."

While plasticosis is only known from one species so far, the scale of plastic pollution means that it may be much more widespread. It could even be having impacts on human health.

FULL ARTICLE -- https://phys.org/news/2023-03-plasticosis-disease-plastic-affecting-seabirds.html

#Pollution #Plastic #BiodiversityLoss