A study, led by Newcastle University’s Dr Alan Jamieson has uncovered the first evidence that man-made pollutants have now reached the farthest corners of our earth.
Sampling amphipods (pictured) from the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana and Kermadec trenches – which are over 10 kilometres deep and 7,000 km apart – the team found extremely high levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants – or POPs – in the organism’s fatty tissue. These include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) which are commonly used as electrical insulators and flame retardants.
Publishing their findings today in Nature Ecology Evolution, the study team – from Newcastle University, University of Aberdeen and the James Hutton Institute - say the next step is to understand the consequences of this contamination and what the knock-on effects might be for the wider ecosystem.
Lead author, Dr Jamieson, said:
“We still think of the deep ocean as being this remote and pristine realm, safe from human impact, but our research shows that, sadly, this could not be further from the truth…
Read more at Newcastle University
Photo credit: Dr Alan Jamieson, Newcastle University
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