Bag can be ripped into 1.7m pieces

A SINGLE carrier bag in the ocean can be shredded into 1.7 million pieces, scientists have found.

Marine wildlife may be unwittingly contributing to the spread of microplastics which threatens them.

A crustacean in northern and western Europe was found to be capable of breaking a single plastic bag into 1.75 million microscopic fragments.

The creature, like seabirds and fish, appears to mistake plastic waste in the ocean for food and swallow it, according to scientists at the University of Plymouth.

Their previous research has found more than 700 marine species have encountered plastic debris, with clear evidence that ingestion and entanglement is harming them.

Professor Richard Thompson, head of the university’s International Marine Litter Research Unit, said: ‘An estimated 120 million tonnes of single-use plastic items, such as carrier bags, are produced each year and they are one of the main sources of plastic pollution. They already represent a potential hazard to marine life, but this research shows species might also be contributing to the spread of such debris.

‘It further demonstrates that marine litter is not only an aesthetic problem but has the potential to cause more serious and persistent environmental damage.’

The scientists examined how fast a crustacean called Orchestia gammarellus broke down bags. Their research appeared in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.