"해양 플라스틱 오염, 홍합 굴 등 수산물 치명적 질병 확산시킬 수 있어" VIDEO;Plastic pollution in our oceans could spread fatal diseases into the food chain through farmed seafoods such as mussels and oysters, study warns
Plastic pollution in our oceans could spread fatal diseases into the food chain through farmed seafoods such as mussels and oysters, study warns
Scientists say microscopic plastic particles transport pathogens in the oceans
Pathogens can contaminate our favourite seafood including oysters and mussels
Knowledge gaps still exist over how microplastics carry these pathogens to fish
Graphic shows the potential microbe–microplastic interactions occurring at the surface of the plastics. Larger biofilms form on plastics compared with natural particles such as zooplankton. The smooth and comparatively large surfaces of plastics at the microscale are suited to pathogenic communities
By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 10:37 BST, 14 August 2020 | UPDATED: 13:27 BST, 14 August 2020
"해양 플라스틱 오염, 홍합 굴 등 수산물 치명적 질병 확산시킬 수 있어" 해양의 플라스틱 오염은 홍합과 굴과 같은 양식 수산물을 통해 치명적인 질병을 먹이 사슬로 확산시킬 수 있다고 과학자들은 경고한다. 미세 플라스틱 – 지름 5 밀리미터 미만의 플라스틱 입자 – 분해된 더 큰 플라스틱 제품, 섬유 섬유, 담배 필터 또는 심지어 미용 제품에서 나올 수 있다. 우리 해역에 유입되는 미세플라스틱은 박테리아와 같은 인간과 동물 병원균이 새로운 지역으로 퍼지는 장거리 이동 메커니즘 역할을 할 수 있다. 이러한 초경량 플라스틱 입자조차도 병원균을 포함한 미생물의 집단인 바이오필름의 형성을 촉진시켜 표면의 얇은 층을 형성한다. 홍합과 굴과 같은 수산물은 오염된 플라스틱 조각을 섭취하기 매우 쉽도록 하는 필터 공급 시스템을 가지고 있다. 플라스틱에서 해양 생물로 병원균이 옮겨지면 일부 지역의 연체동물이 사라질 수도 있고, 심지어 인간 해산물 팬에게 병원균을 전달할 수도 있다. 연구자들은 해양 미세플라스틱이 박테리아와 바이러스를 어떻게 일단 바다로 여과시키는지, 그리고 이것이 인간과 동물의 건강에 영향을 미치는지에 대한 지식 격차가 여전히 존재한다고 말한다. 엑서터 대학 글로벌 시스템 연구소의 Ceri Lewis 박사는 "미세플라스틱 파편들은 자연 부유 입자와 현저하게 다르며, 병원균의 잠재적인 저장소를 대표한다는 증거가 증가하고 있다"고 말했다. 황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터 Ki Chul Hwang Conpaper editor curator |
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Plastic pollution in our oceans could spread fatal diseases into the food chain through farmed seafoods such as mussels and oysters, scientists warn.
Microplastics – plastic particles less than 5 millimetres in diameter – can come from larger plastic products that have broken down, textile fibres, cigarette filters or even beauty products.
Microplastics enter the waterways through a variety of means and finish suspended in the liquid. They can be transported long distances both in water and via the air, taking them to the furthest corners of the world
Microplastics that enter our waters may act as a long-distance transport mechanism for human and animal pathogens, such as bacteria, to spread into new areas.
Even these ultra-tiny plastic particles encourage the formation of biofilms – a community of microbes, including pathogens, that form a slimy layer on the surface.
This transfer of pathogens from plastic to marine life could wipe out mollusc populations in some regions, or even pass pathogens to human seafood fans.
Researchers say knowledge gaps still exist over how ocean microplastics transport bacteria and viruses once they filter into the ocean, and whether this affects the health of humans and animals.
'Microplastic fragments differ markedly from natural floating particles, and there is growing evidence that they represent a potential reservoir of pathogens,' said Dr Ceri Lewis at the University of Exeter's Global Systems Institute.
'Of particular concern are the increasing reports of the presence of numerous pathogens on plastic surfaces in oceans around the world.'
There are millions of tons of plastic reaching the world's oceans every year and trillions of particles floating on the surface.
But these plastic particles are known to carry specific combinations of metals, pollutants and pathogens – bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that cause disease.
Mussels and oysters (pictured) readily take up microplastic particles from their surrounding seawater before they reach the diner's plate
A previous study found antimicrobial-resistant bacteria at concentrations between 100 to 5,000 times higher on microplastic surfaces than in surrounding seawater.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is when bacteria adapt in response to modern antibacterial medicines and chemicals.
But the effects of all this on marine animals, aquaculture and humans at the top of the food chain are unknown, Dr Lewis said.
The new study focuses on implications for the aquaculture industry – the breeding, rearing and harvesting of fish, shellfish and other marine organisms.
Aquaculture is now the fastest-growing food sector and a good route to bumping up food production globally to feed a growing global population.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has recognised the need for a doubling of seafood production by 2050 to meet global demand, with a 28 million tonne shortfall projected within the next decade.
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