The study, conducted by researchers at Simon Fraser University, investigated five different species of Arctic fish known to be eaten by beluga whales. Of the fish studied, 21 per cent were found to have microplastic particles in their gastrointestinal tracts.
Coupled with the findings of the team’s previous work, which looked at the amount of microplastic found in beluga stomachs, the researchers estimate that the whales ingest upwards of 145,000 particles of microplastics a year.
Rhiannon Moore, the lead author of the study, said that while the potential health impacts on belugas are unknown, the findings underscore how pervasive plastics are in these regions.
“When we first investigated seven different beluga stomachs and found microplastics in all of them, I was quite surprised,” Moore said. “These are animals that were in very remote northern areas and it wasn’t just one kind of plastic that we found.”
Microplastic fibres, found in textiles and clothing...