According to Agence France-Presse reported on September 18, plastic particles - tiny plastic fragments from synthetic fabrics, car tires and contact lenses - are scattered throughout the world.
According to reports, they are difficult to detect and more difficult to collect, which can seriously damage marine life, and they are also believed to pose a major threat to human health as they pass through the food chain and contaminated water supply.
Researchers at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom now believe that for the first time, they have evidence that plastic particles can enter our ecosystem through mosquitoes and other flying insects.
The team observed that mosquito larvae ingest tiny plastic beads—similar to the tiny plastic balls found in everyday cosmetics—and then monitor their life cycle.
They found that many particles were transmitted to the mosquitoes, which meant that no matter what creatures eat wild insects, they will also swallow these plastics.
The first author of the study, Amanda Callahan, a biologist at the University of Reading, said: 'The important thing is that this situation can be quite common. We just take mosquitoes as an example, and many aquatic insects have the same life cycle. Their larvae take food in the water and then become adult.'