A new disease caused solely by plastics has been discovered in seabirds.

The birds identified as having the disease, named plasticosis, have scarred digestive tracts from ingesting waste, scientists at the Natural History Museum in London say.

It is the first recorded instance of specifically plastic-induced fibrosis in wild animals, researchers say.

Plastic pollution is becoming so prevalent that the scarring was widespread across different ages of birds, according to the study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

Young birds were found to have the disease, and it is thought chicks were being fed the plastic pollution by parents accidentally bringing it back in food. >> Full article

Plasticosis’: Characterising macro- and microplastic-associated fibrosis in seabird tissues

Marine plastic: Hundreds of fragments in dead seabirds

And a five year old BBC documentary: See 2.57minutes in.

Drowning in Plastic