Plasticosis is a form of fibrotic scarring that is caused by small pieces of plastic which inflame the digestive tract. A 2023 study by Hayley Charlton-Howard, Alex Bond, Jack Rivers-Auty, and Jennifer Lavers, found that plastic pollution caused disease in seabirds. The researchers coined the term plasticosis to indicate the first recorded instance of plastic-induced fibrosis in wild animals. “Further, the ingestion of plastic has far-reaching and severe consequences, many of which we are only just beginning to fully document and understand.” Asbestosis high mag

The disease is caused only by plastic according to the study. Plasticosis is a pathological

wound healing Wound healing refers to a living organism's replacement of destroyed or damaged tissue by newly produced tissue. In undamaged skin, the epidermis (surface, epithelial layer) and dermis (deeper, connective layer) form a protective barrier again ...

in which

connective tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, a group of cells that are similar in structure, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops mostly from the mesenchyme, derived from the mesod ...

replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of permanent

scar tissue "Scar Tissue" is the first single from American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers' seventh studio album, ''Californication'' (1999). Released on May 25, 1999, the song spent a then-record 16 consecutive weeks atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot Modern R ...

. Repeated injuries, chronic inflammation and repair are susceptible to fibrosis where an accidental excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components, such as the collagen is produced by fibroblasts, leading to the formation of a permanent fibrotic scar.

Pathogenesis

Plasticosis was first identified in Flesh-footed

Shearwaters Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae. They have a global marine distribution, but are most common in temperate and cold waters, and are pelagic outside the breeding season. Description These Proce ...

(Ardenna carneipes) on

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port ...

, Australia. Previous research on this population found that ~90% of necropsied chicks contained ingested plastics, which are thought to negatively affect chick growth and survival. Microscopic pieces of plastic have also been found embedded in tissues of this species, causing inflammation and tissue damage, as well as loss of tubular glands and

rugae In anatomy, rugae (: ruga) are a series of ridges produced by folding of the wall of an organ. In general, rugae are a biological feature found in many organisms, serving purposes such as increasing surface area, flexibility, or structural sup ...

. Plastic-induced fibrosis has been previously demonstrated in recent laboratory studies, in organs such as the heart, liver, ovaries, and uterus. Plasticosis is found to cause increased

collagen Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix of the connective tissues of many animals. It is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up 25% to 35% of protein content. Amino acids are bound together to form a trip ...

prevalence in the tubular glands and submucosa, and widespread scar tissue formation across the whole organ, leading to extensive reorganisation and tissue damage, and potentially a loss of tissue function. Since tubular glands produce mucus to protect the

epithelium Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial ( mesothelial) tissues line the outer surfaces of man ...

, as well as fluids that are crucial for digestion and nutrient absorption, plasticosis may affect the ability of birds to prevent injury or infection in the stomach and reduce stomach function. Excessive scar tissue formation in the stomach wall and loss of rugae induced by plastics may also reduce the ability of the stomach to expand, potentially reducing stomach capacity and function. Plasticosis has been compared to

asbestosis Asbestosis is long-term inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis, scarring of the human lung, lungs due to asbestos fibers. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest pain, chest tightness. Complications may include lung canc ...

and

silicosis Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust. It is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of Nodule (medicine), nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneum ...

, where plastic acts a similar persistent irritant leading to fibrosis.

References

{{Reflist Bird diseases Plastics and the environment Pollution

Pathogenesis

See also

References