Plastic waste can sit in the environment for centuries. For example, a plastic straw can take around 200 years to break down, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The lifespan of the plastic means it has more time to impact wildlife, and it's deadly. 

A study shows just how little plastic it takes to kill animals that ingest it, according to The New York Times.

What's happening?

The study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzed data from more than 10,000 autopsies of seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals killed by plastic, according to the report. Researchers found that the amount needed to reach a 90% chance of death is small and varies in volume depending on the animal. Around two baseballs for a sea turtle, three sugar cubes for a puffin, and a soccer ball for a harbor porpoise.

"These lethal doses are much smaller than one might think," said the lead scientist for the study, Erin Murphy. 

Although there has been a collective understanding about how dangerous plastic is for the ocean, this is the first time a clear threshold of how much an animal can ingest before death has been documented. Nearly half of the animals from 53 different studies worldwide on 96 different species that ingested plastic are threatened or endangered, according to the Times. 

Why is reducing plastic waste important?

Plastic exposure from the plastic waste that kills animals poses direct health risks for humans, too. According to researchers, contaminated water systems contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are often found in plastic products and increase the likelihood of early death. 

Another study found microplastics lodged in the guts of honeybees, meaning microplastic contamination has reached our food systems that depend on pollinators. The Times also reported that hard plastic fragments, like bottle caps, can puncture or tear internal organs in marine animals, while soft plastics, like bags or fishing gear, are what turtles and marine mammals tend to ingest. 

What's being done about plastic levels?

Ocean Conservancy data found that areas that enact plastic bag bans have less shoreline litter. Therefore, specific policies can easily cut down the amount of plastic animals ingest and that leak into our water systems. 

Researchers want to understand how plastic levels in the environment, such as beach litter, connect to how much animals end up eating plastics, noting 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, according to the report. 

To make a change on a local level and for yourself, repurposing containers and packaging helps reduce waste and slow the production of new plastics. Additionally, supporting brands that are eco-friendly and use safe practices to reduce overall plastic production can make a difference. 

"We shouldn't forget about large plastics and the impact that can have on marine life," said Dr. Kara Lavender Law, a professor of oceanography at the Sea Education Association, to the Times. "It's all important, and it's all part of the same problem."

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