Study Reveals Discarded Plastic Inflicts Alzheimer’s-Like Damage on Seabirds
**Analysis of chicks that have eaten plastic reveals insidious health impacts, including cell rupture and decay in stomach lining** Ingesting plastic has been found to cause brain damage in seabirds that resembles Alzheimer’s disease, according...
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**Analysis of chicks that have eaten plastic reveals insidious health impacts, including cell rupture and decay in stomach lining**
Ingesting plastic has been found to cause brain damage in seabirds that resembles Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study. Plastic pollution has emerged in recent decades as a pressing environmental and health issue.
Over the past 70 years, plastic production has surged, generating approximately 360 million metric tons of waste each year. The growing concern over plastic pollution has led to heightened awareness and frustration among scientists and environmental activists, especially with projections suggesting that waste levels could double by 2040.
A study involving blood tests of migratory birds that ingested plastic waste from their parents indicates that this consumption leads to harm that occurs without outward symptoms in the chicks. This includes stomach lining decay, cell rupture, and neurodegeneration, as detailed in research published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Tasmania, the analysis focused on young sable shearwaters, birds renowned for their migration between Australia’s Lord Howe Island and Japan. These birds spend about 90 days in burrows before embarking on their initial migration. The findings revealed that plastic pollution has resulted in significant health complications for the young birds, impacting their stomach, liver, kidneys, and brain.
The study's objective was to evaluate the health of “birds that have consumed plastic but look visibly healthy,” noted Alix de Jersey, a PhD student at the University of Tasmania’s School of Medicine, as reported by The Guardian.
De Jersey, who spearheaded the research, indicated that the protein patterns identified in blood tests were “strikingly similar” to those seen in individuals with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, emphasizing that “it’s almost equivalent to a small child having Alzheimer’s.”
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, leads to brain shrinkage and the gradual death of cells, affecting cognitive function, behavior, and social skills.
The researchers observed that while young birds can vomit some of the plastic before migrating, they emphasized that it is unlikely that all birds can purge it due to the overwhelming amount. The chicks that were examined had their stomachs pumped, allowing them to begin their migrations without plastic waste inside.
Debra A Smith contributed to this article for TROIB News
Ingesting plastic has been found to cause brain damage in seabirds that resembles Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study. Plastic pollution has emerged in recent decades as a pressing environmental and health issue.
Over the past 70 years, plastic production has surged, generating approximately 360 million metric tons of waste each year. The growing concern over plastic pollution has led to heightened awareness and frustration among scientists and environmental activists, especially with projections suggesting that waste levels could double by 2040.
A study involving blood tests of migratory birds that ingested plastic waste from their parents indicates that this consumption leads to harm that occurs without outward symptoms in the chicks. This includes stomach lining decay, cell rupture, and neurodegeneration, as detailed in research published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Tasmania, the analysis focused on young sable shearwaters, birds renowned for their migration between Australia’s Lord Howe Island and Japan. These birds spend about 90 days in burrows before embarking on their initial migration. The findings revealed that plastic pollution has resulted in significant health complications for the young birds, impacting their stomach, liver, kidneys, and brain.
The study's objective was to evaluate the health of “birds that have consumed plastic but look visibly healthy,” noted Alix de Jersey, a PhD student at the University of Tasmania’s School of Medicine, as reported by The Guardian.
De Jersey, who spearheaded the research, indicated that the protein patterns identified in blood tests were “strikingly similar” to those seen in individuals with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, emphasizing that “it’s almost equivalent to a small child having Alzheimer’s.”
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, leads to brain shrinkage and the gradual death of cells, affecting cognitive function, behavior, and social skills.
The researchers observed that while young birds can vomit some of the plastic before migrating, they emphasized that it is unlikely that all birds can purge it due to the overwhelming amount. The chicks that were examined had their stomachs pumped, allowing them to begin their migrations without plastic waste inside.
Debra A Smith contributed to this article for TROIB News
