Stephanie L. Wright, Darren Rowe, Richard C. Thompson, Tamara S. 
Galloway, Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms, Current Biology, Volume 23, Issue 23, 2 December 2013, Pages 
R1031-R1033, ISSN 0960-9822, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.068.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982213013432)
Abstract: Summary
The indiscriminate disposal of plastic to the environment is of concern. 
Microscopic plastic litter (<5 mm diameter; ‘microplastic’) is 
increasing in abundance in the marine environment, originating from the 
fragmentation of plastic items and from industry and personal-care 
products [1]. On highly impacted beaches, microplastic concentrations 
(<1mm) can reach 3% by weight, presenting a global conservation issue 
[2]. Microplastics are a novel substrate for the adherence of 
hydrophobic contaminants [1], deposition of eggs [3], and colonization 
by unique bacterial assemblages [4]. Ingestion by indiscriminate 
deposit-feeders has been reported, yet physical impacts remain 
understudied [1]. Here, we show that deposit-feeding marine worms 
maintained in sediments spiked with microscopic unplasticised 
polyvinylchloride (UPVC) at concentrations overlapping those in the 
environment had significantly depleted energy reserves by up to 50% 
(Figure 1). Our results suggest that depleted energy reserves arise from 
a combination of reduced feeding activity, longer gut residence times of 
ingested material and inflammation.

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