No accumulation of microplastics detected in western Canadian ringed seals (Pusa hispida).
Mar Pollut Bull
; 188: 114692, 2023 Mar.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36753811
ABSTRACT
Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) play a crucial role in Arctic food webs as important pelagic predators and represent an essential component of Inuvialuit culture and food security. Plastic pollution is recognized as a global threat of concern, and Arctic regions may act as sinks for anthropogenic debris. To date, mixed evidence exists concerning the propensity for Canadian Arctic marine mammals to ingest and retain plastic. Our study builds on existing literature by offering the first assessment of plastic ingestion in ringed seals harvested in the western Canadian Arctic. We detected no evidence of microplastic (particles ≥80 µm) retention in the stomachs of ten ringed seals from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) in the Northwest Territories, Canada. These results are consistent with previous studies that have found that some marine mammals do not accumulate microplastics in evaluated regions.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Caniformia
/
Phocidae
Límite:
Animals
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mar Pollut Bull
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article