Beads of trouble

Marine pollutants: In the oceans, plastic wastes degrade and break down into small particles that get ingested by marine life. Microplastic pollution also comes from the tiny plastic beads used in facial exfoliants as well as fibres from synthetic textiles like polyester.

Ingestion of microplastics by lugworms could impact the ocean ecosystems due to their importance to the food chain.

TINY bits of plastic rubbish ingested by marine worms is significantly harming their health and will have wider impact on ocean ecosystems, scientists have found.Microplastic particles, measuring less than 5mm in size, have been accumulating in the oceans since the 1960s and are now the most abundant form of solid waste pollution on Earth.