Researchers issue warning after making alarming discovery deep in Amazon rainforest: 'They need to be tackled'

The Amazon Rainforest is increasingly being threatened by plastic pollution. 

What's happening?

According to research published in the journal Ambio, plastic fragments have been found in wildlife and water across all nine Amazonian countries. 

As Mongabay observed, microplastics are appearing even in remote areas where animals are thought to have minimal contact with human-derived waste. 

Researchers examined 52 field studies from 2000 to 2025 that reported plastic contamination in the Amazon Basin's rivers, soils, plants, and animals. They found evidence of plastic pollution in fish, manatees, turtles, birds, soil sediments, and drinking-water sources.

"Even wild animals that have little contact with people and that live deep in the forest, far away from cities, are already contaminated with microplastics," lead author Jéssica Fernandes de Melo, an ecology and biodiversity conservation researcher at the State University of Santa Cruz, Brazil, told Mongabay. 

The review stated that two-thirds of the animal species found to be contaminated are eaten locally. This is directly concerning for human health, as studies have linked microplastics to hormone disruption, increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, and some cancers. 

Why is plastic pollution in the Amazon a concern?

The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and its health directly influences climate stability. The United Nations explained that biodiversity is key to supporting all life on Earth.

"Climate change and biodiversity loss (as well as pollution) are part of an interlinked triple planetary crisis the world is facing today," the UN said. "They need to be tackled together if we are to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a viable future on this planet."

Plastic pollution reaching remote forest and river habitats matters because it shows there is no safe zone that is free from the negative impacts of human-produced waste. The evidence of widespread plastic contamination undermines ecological integrity and impacts health protections. 

According to the World Wildlife Fund, plastic is everywhere and can take decades to centuries to break down naturally. It can, however, break apart into smaller and smaller pieces. 

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That means much of it remains in the environment, where it can be ingested by wildlife and enter the human food chain.

What can be done about plastic contamination?

Efforts to tackle plastic pollution must address the full lifecycle of plastic from production to waste management and reuse. Individuals can reduce plastic waste by reusing or upcycling plastic items rather than discarding them. 

Every individual step matters, but it needs to be matched by systemic change. For example, improved waste collection in remote communities is required, since there have been instances of illegal trash dumping in rural areas. 

The evidence of widespread plastic pollution in the Amazon means there is deep-rooted and growing contamination of ecosystems that have once been considered untouched. 

Without both individual and collective action, the concerning increase in plastic and microplastic pollution threatens wildlife, local food sources, and human health.

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