Plastic has become more of a bane than boon over the decades. It has been one of the major contributors when it comes to choking the planet. Now it has also become a major concern for the avian species as according to a new research it was found wild birds have been consuming an inordinate amount of plastics. And a new disease called ‘Plasticosis’ is plaguing their stomachs. These small plastic pieces end up scarring their proventriculus organ, the first part of a bird’s stomach.

According to research published in the ‘Journal of Hazardous Materials’, plastic is thought to impact over 1200 marine species. There is growing evidence that the ingestion of plastic leads to long-lasting and diverse consequences for a wide array of fauna. Scientists have highlighted how ingestion of large or sharp macroplastic items can lead to blocked, ulcerated, or perforated digestive tracts as well as altered or diminished feeding behaviour and starvation in severe cases.

Studies have also reported that repeated exposure to plastics can cause inflammation of tissues of birds. Plastics with irregular size and shape could lead to greater cellular damage. Scientists have managed to identify significant evidence for widespread plastic-related scar tissue formation in the wild seabirds. There is a  highly significant relationship between plastic presence, the severity of scar tissue formation, and the prevalence of collagen within tissue structures.

With plastic pollution not showing any signs of abatement, it is likely that exposure of all organisms to plastic becomes inevitable. Further, the ingestion of plastic has several  far-reaching and severe consequences, many of which are only just beginning to be fully documented, states the research.