PLYMOUTH – Polyster microfibres from textiles, one of the main sources of microplastic pollution, have been found to stunt growth in mussels by more than a third, according to a new study.
Tiny fibres shed from textiles as a result of the wearing and washing of clothes, and also from the weathering and abrasion of marine equipment, make up more than 90% of microfibres in oceans.
Researchers at Plymouth Marine Laboratory studied microfibre exposure on young blue mussels – only 1cm in length – over three months to asscertain their effect on these shellfish.
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