Anthropogenic: environmental and pollution contaminants originating in human activity
Chelsea Rochman
Dr. Chelsea Rochman, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, studies the ecological effects of anthropogenic activity on wildlife and on our natural resources. Currently, Chelsea is studying the infiltration of plastic debris into aquatic habitats. The research is providing evidence that 1 in 4 fish have chemicals in their guts, and that there is also evidence of contaminants in oysters, clams and mussels. The research is focused on determining the toxicity of these levels, and also in studying the threat of microplastics to native species in larger urban watersheds.
“You wouldn’t eat the tiny plastic fibers that come off your fleece jacket, would you?
This study—the first of its kind—suggests that we do! The research found that Great Lakes fish are swallowing micro-plastic fibers that have found their way into the waste stream from washing machines. None of the species examined were free of contamination. The fibers get sluiced down the drain when synthetic fabrics, often made up of plastic, go through the wash. Washing machines don’t typically have filter traps and the tiny fibers also slip through wastewater treatment. Because they are made of plastic polymers designed to resist environmental degradation, they do just that—persist in the environment .Fish then ingest the fibers when they feed. When we eat those fish, we’ll be eating those fibers too.”
Marine Ecotoxicologist
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