Zoology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2012 Sep;64(9):1776-81. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.04.017. Epub 2012 Jun 26.
Marine plastic debris is a global issue, which highlights the need for internationally standardized methods of monitoring plastic pollution. The stomach contents of beached northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) have proven a cost-effective biomonitor in Europe. However, recent information on northern fulmar plastic ingestion is lacking in the North Pacific. We quantified the stomach contents of 67 fulmars from beaches in the eastern North Pacific in 2009-2010 and found that 92.5% of fulmars had ingested an average of 36.8 pieces, or 0.385 g of plastic. Plastic ingestion in these fulmars is among the highest recorded globally. Compared to earlier studies in the North Pacific, our findings indicate an increase in plastic ingestion over the past 40 years. This study substantiates the use of northern fulmar as biomonitors of plastic pollution in the North Pacific and suggests that the high levels of plastic pollution in this region warrant further monitoring.
海洋塑料垃圾是一个全球性问题，这凸显了需要采用国际标准化的方法来监测塑料污染。在欧洲，搁浅的北方塘鹅（Fulmarus glacialis）的胃内容物已被证明是一种具有成本效益的生物监测器。然而，北太平洋地区最近缺乏有关北方塘鹅摄入塑料的信息。我们在 2009-2010 年对北太平洋东部海滩上的 67 只塘鹅的胃内容物进行了定量分析，发现 92.5%的塘鹅摄入了平均 36.8 块或 0.385 克的塑料。这些塘鹅的塑料摄入量是全球记录中最高的之一。与北太平洋早期的研究相比，我们的研究结果表明，在过去的 40 年里，塘鹅摄入塑料的情况有所增加。这项研究证实了北方塘鹅可用作北太平洋塑料污染的生物监测器，并表明该地区高水平的塑料污染需要进一步监测。
