A modeling study published in Nature Communications estimated that filter-feeding whales off the coast of California ingest up to 10 million pieces of microplastics per day. The results suggest that baleen whales may be the most plastic-ingested of all organisms and that microplastics may pose a greater threat to these whales than previously thought.

Baleen whales: including blue, humpback, and fin whales, may be particularly at risk of ingesting microplastics. The reasons are their filter-feeding behavior, huge predation, and habitats that overlap with contaminated areas such as the California Current. However, data on their daily plastic intake have been lacking.

A joint team, including Stanford University, combined data on microplastics from the California Current with high-resolution measures of feeding behavior from 191 tagged blue, fin, and humpback whales. They found that baleen whales feed mainly at depths of 50 to 250 meters, where most microplastics are found.

Based on the data, they estimate that blue whales consume about 10 million pieces of microplastics per day, and humpback whales consume up to 4 million pieces of microplastics per day. The researchers believe that these whales may be at risk of cumulative physiological and toxicological effects from ingesting microplastics.

The team points out that the conservation challenges of plastic waste can only be addressed by understanding the rates of microplastic ingestion and their impact on marine wildlife.

What are the microplastics ingested by whales?

Microplastics refer to very small plastic particles made of plastic material and less than 5 mm in diameter. This is a major carrier of pollution. Microplastics are small in size, which means a higher specific surface area (specific surface area refers to the surface area of porous solids per unit mass), the larger the specific surface area, the stronger the ability to absorb pollutants.

Compared with "white polluting" plastics, microplastics can easily affect aquatic organisms and cause environmental disasters, and they can remain in the water for thousands of years without disappearing. Even biodegradable types are difficult to degrade in a short period of time.

Microplastics are generally considered to be plastic fibers, particles, or films with a particle size of less than 5 mm, some up to the micron or even nanometer scale. These microplastics actually come from all around us, such as dust from tire wear, certain cosmetics, personal care products, detergents, cleaning products, paints, products used in the oil and gas industry, and products used as sandblasting media, all produce microplastics.

How to reduce the production of microplastics?

To reduce the production of these microplastics, first of all, our living habits must be maintained well. We must be careful about the water we use in our lives. Generally, microplastics are caused by our soap toothpaste, and they will flow into the sea with the sewer. So in normal times, we try to minimize the flow of this moisture into the sewer. When using soap, try to use that plant-type soap, which will greatly reduce the production of microplastics.

Corresponding policies should be introduced to reduce residents throwing garbage into the water. Some residents living by the water may not meet the requirements, so some domestic garbage is thrown into the water, which leads to the pollution of the river. Then with the direction of the sea current, it will accumulate in a certain place to form a sea of garbage, so we must stop this kind of living habit.