Amount of microplastic in Rio’s marine life surprises biologists

Biologists studying the presence of microplastics in marine life off the coast of Rio de Janeiro have found that the impact of plastic pollution is much worse than they feared.

Biologists wear diving suits and use oxygen cylinders to dive into Rio’s waters to collect samples of marine life. They then measure the amount of microplastic found inside organisms in a laboratory.

Plastic objects that end up in the ocean break into smaller pieces and could eventually end up inside fish and other creatures, like the sea urchins studied by biologists, the researchers told Reuters.

“I got scared. In fact I already believed that I would find [microplástico]I just didn’t think I would find so much,” said Raquel Neves, a marine biologist at UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), who is looking for microplastics with the help of a microscope.

“Our role as researchers, as an academy, is to show, to highlight, to raise a sign and say: ‘It’s wrong, wake up'”, said Neves. “There’s still a comeback, but soon there may not be any more.”

Single-use plastic consumption has increased during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the non-governmental organization International Solid Waste Association.