Microplastics found in deep-water fish

The presence of harmful microplastics in deep-water fish discovered by Irish researchers suggests the problem could be more serious than previously thought.

The study by a team at NUI Galway’s school of natural sciences found 73% of the fish they analysed had microplastic fragments in their stomachs.

The fact that the samples were from fish specimens collected from depths of 300 to 600 metres below the surface in the north-west Atlantic shows the effects are not restricted to organisms living nearer the surface.