Plastic ingested by seabirds ‘could release toxic chemicals in their stomach’

A northern fulmar in flight.

Small pieces of plastic ingested by seabirds could release toxic chemicals in their stomachs and pose a threat to their long-term health, scientists have said.

The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science, are based on an analysis of stomach oil of northern fulmars, a common seabird found around the coasts of the UK.