Scientists from London’s Natural History Museum have reported the first case of plastic-related fibrosis in wild animals. Plastic pollution is increasing, which has led to scarring common in birds of different ages, according to a study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.
The disease mainly affects young birds and it is believed that the parents accidentally feed the chicks plastic material.
The scientists, including Drs Alex Bond and Jennifer Lavers from the Natural History Museum, studied the common waters of Australia’s Lord Howe Island to determine the relationship between the amount of plastic ingested and the ruminal organ of birds, which is the first part of the stomach.
The more plastic the bird found consumed, the more scars they developed. The disease, which he calls “plasticosis”, causes a gradual rupture of the tubular glands in the rumen, which can affect the bird’s ability to digest food and absorb some vitamins.
Doctors believe that this disease affects several species of birds and that research on the number of people affected is necessary to understand the scale of the problem. Plastic ingestion has serious long-term consequences, many of which are still not fully understood.
What is plasticosis?
Plasticosis is a type of fibrotic disease that occurs when there is an excessive amount of scarring in one part of the body due to repeated inflammation preventing normal wound healing.
Under normal conditions, scar tissue forms temporarily after an injury to support repair.
However, when recurrent inflammation occurs, excessive scar tissue can be generated, which decreases the flexibility of the tissues and changes their structure.
In plasticosis, irritation is caused by pieces of plastic adhering to the stomach tissue. Researchers discovered this disease in a study of seabirds on Lord Howe Island, where they have conducted research for the past decade.
