Environmental pollution: Microplastics detected in the blood of tapirs and anteaters

Microplastics have long been much more than just a problem in the oceans. A study from Brazil shows how far the tiny particles have penetrated into the habitats of wild animals.

Campo Grande. Microplastics can now be detected in animals from the most remote regions of the world. In one study, researchers found such particles in the blood of lowland tapirs and giant anteaters from different regions of Brazil. In 43 of the 47 animals examined, they discovered the tiny plastic particles, the concentration of which increased with proximity to human infrastructure and waste disposal facilities, as the international research team reports in the journal “Nature”.

The evidence in the Pantanal was particularly remarkable. In the largest wetland on earth and one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, the scientists found microplastics in the blood of all animals examined, even though they lived more than 65 kilometers from the nearest development and more than 112 kilometers from the nearest waste disposal facility.

For the study, the researchers examined blood samples from 26 lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) and 21 large anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) between February 2021 and November 2022. The animals came from the deforestation area on the southern edge of the Amazon, from the Cerrado - Brazil's wet savannas in the southeast - and from the Pantanal. Using GPS data, the scientists tracked the animals' movements and compared their habitats with the measured amounts of microplastics.

The researchers found that microplastic pollution was linked to human impact on the animals' habitats. The closer the animals lived to buildings and waste disposal facilities, the higher the measured values ​​tended to be. It is said that the particles could also reach remote regions via air and water.

Microplastics are no longer just a problem in the oceans. The tiny plastic particles have already been detected in arable soil, on mountain peaks, in remote forests, glaciers and river floodplains, among other places. They enter the environment through various routes: rivers transport plastic into floodplains, and in agriculture, films and contaminated compost can contribute to pollution.

The particles are also spread through the atmosphere and can settle far away from human settlements. The effects that micro- and nanoparticles have on ecosystems and human health have not yet been conclusively clarified.