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Researchers on the College of British Columbia are learning simply how a lot plastic is ending up within the ocean — by analyzing penguin feces.
It is not one thing everybody can be able to roll up their sleeves for, however Karly McMullen says it is what she’s captivated with.
“We collected Galapagos penguin scat,” she mentioned. “We’re taking a look at how a lot microplastics the Galapagos penguin will eat.”
McMullen is a scholar within the Oceans and Fisheries division and is working to find out how microplastics find yourself being ingested by marine life and finally the meals internet.
Her ardour for the surroundings led her all the best way to the Galapagos Islands the place she started learning samples of fish stomachs, seawater, zooplankton and penguin feces.
“In a single fish, for instance, that had 29 fibres, we had been seeing blue, inexperienced, pink,” she mentioned, including that within the absence of microplastics the fish abdomen would usually be full of algae or brown-looking matter.
The microplastics are about half the dimensions of a human hair and McMullen is learning them at a UBC lab together with PhD candidate Mathew Kowal.
“So far as all forms of scientific analysis goes, I believe that is one which’s actually associated to everybody,” mentioned Kowal, who’s a chemist.
He works to research precisely what sorts of microplastics are being discovered within the samples, and says one is way more frequent than others.
“PET is one thing that you just discover in soda bottles, numerous clothes, something labeled ‘polyester.’ It is essentially the most generally produced plastic so it is smart that it will be the generally discovered one.
Their work is now being detailed in a analysis paper that may finally be revealed.
“Plastic manufacturing is rising yearly, and I believe we have to concentrate on lowering that improve,” mentioned McMullen.
She hopes their work assist folks higher perceive the impression of microplastics on aquatic life, and encourage communities to rethink their plastic use.
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