PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientists uncover hidden river of rubbish threatening to devastate wildlife

2014-01-02
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Paul Teed
paul.teed@rhul.ac.uk
01-784-443-967
Royal Holloway, University of London
Scientists uncover hidden river of rubbish threatening to devastate wildlife

Thousands of pieces of plastic have been discovered, submerged along the river bed of the upper Thames Estuary by scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London and the Natural History Museum.

The sheer amount of plastic recovered shows there is an unseen stream of rubbish flowing through London which could be a serious threat to aquatic wildlife. The findings, published online in Marine Pollution Bulletin, highlight the cause for concern, not only for ecosystems around the river but for the North Sea, in to which the Thames flows.

Using nets designed to catch Chinese mitten crabs, Royal Holloway and the Natural History Museum scientists documented rubbish collected during a three-month trial. More than 8,000 pieces of plastic were collected, including large numbers of cigarette packaging, food wrappers and cups, but more than a fifth of waste was made up of sanitary products.

Dr Dave Morritt, a Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology at Royal Holloway and co-author of the study says: "The unusual aspect of the study is that these nets are originally designed to trap fish and crabs moving along the river bed, so we can see that the majority of this litter is hidden below the surface. This underwater litter must be taken into account when predicting the amount of pollution entering our rivers and seas, not just those items that we can see at the surface and washed up on shore. The potential impacts this could have for wildlife are far reaching: not only are the species that live in and around the river affected, but also those in seas that rivers feed into."

The waste collected for the study is only a small snapshot of the volume of litter which may exist at the bottom of the Thames. Plastic bags and other large items were unlikely to get caught in the small nets so the true extent of the problem is still unknown.

Dr Paul Clark, a researcher, at the Natural History Museum and co-author of the study says: "All of this waste, which was mostly plastic, was hidden underwater so Londoners probably don't realise that it's there. Plastic can have a damaging impact on underwater life. Large pieces can trap animals but smaller pieces can be in advertently eaten. This litter moves up and down the river bed depending on tides. The movement causes the pieces of plastic to break down into smaller fragments. These are small enough to be eaten by even the smallest animals, which are in turn eaten by larger fish and birds. Once digested, plastic can release toxic chemicals which are then passed through the food chain. These toxic chemicals, in high doses, could harm the health of wildlife."

Scientists are increasingly pressing for changes to both policy and consumer behaviours, as the dangers of plastics become more apparent.



INFORMATION:



To highlight the issue of marine litter pollution the Natural History Museum is hosting a Plastic Awareness Weekend on 4–5 January 2014. To find out more visit http://www.nhm.ac.uk



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Scientists explain age-related obesity: Brown fat fails

2014-01-02
Scientists explain age-related obesity: Brown fat fails New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that platelet-activating factor receptors cause increased adiposity and weight gain, and regulating these receptors could lead to ...

Money talks when ancient Antioch meets Google Earth

2014-01-02
Money talks when ancient Antioch meets Google Earth There's a map of an ancient Syrian trade route that shows how one city's political sway extended farther than once thought. This map isn't a time-worn and mysterious etching on a stone tablet. Turns out it's ...

Want a good night's sleep in the new year? Quit smoking

2014-01-02
Want a good night's sleep in the new year? Quit smoking New research in The FASEB Journal identifies the mechanism by which tobacco smoke affects the expression of clock genes in the lung and resets levels of locomotor activity in ...

No scrounging for scraps: UC research uncovers the diets of the middle and lower class in Pompeii

2014-01-02
No scrounging for scraps: UC research uncovers the diets of the middle and lower class in Pompeii University of Cincinnati archaeologists are turning up discoveries in the famed Roman city of Pompeii that are wiping out the historic perceptions of how the Romans dined, ...

Researchers find ways to minimize power grid disruptions from wind power

2014-01-02
Researchers find ways to minimize power grid disruptions from wind power Researchers from North Carolina State University and Johns Hopkins University have found that an increase in the use of wind power generation can make the power grid more fragile and ...

When being called 'incredibly good' is bad for children

2014-01-02
When being called 'incredibly good' is bad for children Study shows inflated praise can harm kids with low self-esteem COLUMBUS, Ohio – Parents and other adults heap the highest praise on children who are most likely to be hurt by the compliments, a new study finds. Researchers ...

Survival rates similar for gunshot/stabbing victims whether brought to the hospital by police or EMS

2014-01-02
Survival rates similar for gunshot/stabbing victims whether brought to the hospital by police or EMS Philadelphia 'Scoop and Run' penetrating trauma victims studied over 5-year period PHILADELPHIA - A new study from the Perelman ...

Study supports a causal role in narcolepsy for a common genetic variant

2014-01-02
Study supports a causal role in narcolepsy for a common genetic variant Results show a remarkable genetic association of almost 100 percent DARIEN, IL – A new study conducted across Europe found an extraordinary association between narcolepsy and a specific ...

Study finds patients give 'broad endorsement' to stem cell research

2014-01-02
Study finds patients give 'broad endorsement' to stem cell research In an early indication of lay opinions on research with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are stem cells made from skin or other tissues, a new study by bioethicists at Johns Hopkins University ...

Hispanic women are less aware of weight and heart disease risk

2014-01-02
Hispanic women are less aware of weight and heart disease risk New Rochelle, NY, January 2, 2014—Minority women tend to be less aware of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) they face by being overweight or obese. The results ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

McGill discovery sheds new light on autism, intellectual disabilities

Cellular changes occur even below the hexavalent chromium limit

Study suggests a new way to curb social media’s body image toll

Plant doctor: An AI system that watches over urban trees without touching a leaf

Study tracks chromium chemistry in irradiated molten salts

Scientists: the beautiful game is a silver bullet for global health

Being physically active, even just a couple of days a week, may be key to better health

High-fat diet promote breast cancer metastasis in animal models

A router for photons

Nurses and AI collaborate to save lives, reduce hospital stays

Multi-resistance in bacteria predicted by AI model

Tinker Tots: A citizen science project to explore ethical dilemmas in embryo selection

Sensing sickness

Cost to build multifamily housing in California more than twice as high as in Texas

Program takes aim at drinking, unsafe sex, and sexual assault on college campuses

Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.

Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

[Press-News.org] Scientists uncover hidden river of rubbish threatening to devastate wildlife