Effects of Microplastics on the Immune System of Fish

On April 7, 2020 the university of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia issued a news release, titled ”Immune-system cells of fish are ingesting plastic…and then dying” https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2020/immune-system-cells-of-fish-are-ingesting-plasticand-then-dying.php – The news release notes that “... Plastic ingestion by aquatic life is well documented. Less well known is the damage plastic does to the immune systems of fish …” – University researchers are focusing “… on the immune systems in salmon and trout … Once bits of plastic get small enough — the size of a bacterium — they can be mistaken for bacteria or viruses and ingested by certain cells in the immune system army. An immune cell’s act of ingesting a foreign body is known as phagocytosis. Those cells are called phagocytes …” – The news release describes research projects underway by university professors and students. #MicroPlastics #NanoPlastics #SingleUsePlastic #FoodPackaging #PlasticWaste