Plastic pollution leaves seabirds with brain damage similar to Alzheimer’s, study shows
Ingesting plastic is leaving seabird chicks with brain damage “akin to Alzheimer’s disease”, according to a new study – adding to growing evidence of the devastating impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife.
Analysis of young sable shearwaters, a migratory bird that travels between Australia’s Lord Howe Island and Japan, has found that plastic waste is causing damage to seabird chicks not apparent to the naked eye, including decay of the stomach lining, cell rupture and neurodegeneration.
Dozens of the chicks – which spend 90 days in burrows before making their first journey – were examined by researchers from the University of Tasmania. Many had mistakenly been fed plastic waste by their parents and built up high levels of plastic in their stomachs.
Blood tests indicated that the plastic pollution had left the chicks with severe health issues, disrupting the stomach, liver, kidneys and brain, according to the study published in the journal Science Advances.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/12/plastic-pollution-leaves-seabirds-chicks-with-brain-damage-similar-to-alzheimers-study-aoeOpen linkView original on sh.itjust.works
21 replies
Great, now study how it affects humans.
I'm particularly interested in what sort of double-whammy compounding effect it might have on Boomers who are already brain-damaged from lead poisoning.
I'm interested in the inevitable double whammy for those of us who grew up in both plastic and PFAS filled environments.
I can really see a future in my lifetime where plastic and PFAS exposure is identified as causing severe damage to humans and animals. I just feel utterly immersed in them whether I like it or not.
The pesticide poisoning might counteract that. Although probably not.
No problem, I’ll just eat less plastic!
…oh wait.
commenting to boost activity on this
I don't think Lemmy works like that.
There are a few options to sort the topics. One of them is boosted by commenting.
Do you comment here often?
I comment here for the articles.
Fuck it, have my updoot, lawl
First asbestos, then lead, then this. Hopefully we'll agree to fix this too.
We: No more plastics!
Them: plastic removal surgery! Only $236.99 for each eye!
Them: take Plastowy once a week to reduce the plastics in your testicles. Don't got testicles yet? Try Plastowy today! Side effects include but are not limited to mild headaches, blueing of the skin, mild death, heavy death, deadly death and really fucking dead. Consult your obstetrician if you're pretty sure those are new. You know what we're talking about.
Remember, capitalists can only capitalize if their heads are still attached to their bodies.
The only habitable planet anywhere near that area, but tourists are gradually turning it to a pile of trash. I won't visit again until someone cleans it up. Giving it 2/5 stars.
Yeah Earth sucks.
Earth chicks suck.
TBH if I get any dumber I might have to start looking into whether it's all that plastic as well.
If you get dumb enough, you'll stop looking into the source of your dumbness. taps-head.jpg
Owlzheimer's.
Gotta laugh to avoid the constant weeping and/or screaming.
The vast majority of plastic in the ocean is fishing nets. Stop eating meat!
Seagulls?!? That's just how they are, fam.