Birds as bioindicators of plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments: A 30-year review

Plastic pollution is a global concern that has grown ever more acute in recent years. Most research has focused on the impact of plastic pollution in marine environments. However, plastic is increasingly being detected in terrestrial and freshwater environments with key inland sources including land...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental pollution (1987) 2024-05, Vol.348, p.123790-123790, Article 123790
Main Authors: Mansfield, I., Reynolds, S.J., Lynch, I., Matthews, T.J., Sadler, J.P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Avian
Birds
Ecosystem
Ecotoxicology
Emerging pollutants
Environmental Biomarkers
Environmental Monitoring
Fresh Water
Microplastics
Plastics
Pollution sinks
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
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Summary:Plastic pollution is a global concern that has grown ever more acute in recent years. Most research has focused on the impact of plastic pollution in marine environments. However, plastic is increasingly being detected in terrestrial and freshwater environments with key inland sources including landfills, where it is accessible to a wide range of organisms. Birds are effective bioindicators of pollutants for many reasons, including their high mobility and high intra- and interspecific variation in trophic levels. Freshwater and terrestrial bird species are under-represented in plastic pollution research compared to marine species. We reviewed 106 studies (spanning from 1994 onwards) that have detected plastics in bird species dwelling in freshwater and/or terrestrial habitats, identifying knowledge gaps. Seventy-two studies focused solely on macroplastics (fragments >5 mm), compared to 22 microplastic (fragments
ISSN:0269-7491
1873-6424
DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123790