It's a pretty crappy finding, quite literally. In a study to be published in Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, researchers note that while the impacts of plastic pollution on marine life have been well documented, the same can't be said for terrestrial creatures. They set out to change that by studying the donkey and cattle population on Kenya's Lamu Island. University of Portsmouth researchers write that as in many low- and middle-income countries, "free roaming livestock in Lamu are ubiquitous and insufficient waste management infrastructure means that donkeys and cattle regularly graze open dumpsites." In March and November 2023, the researchers collected 39 fecal samples excreted by these animals and found microplastics in 100% of them.
The research team used a multidisciplinary approach: quantifying microplastics in animal feces, but also observing feeding behaviors and surveying local attitudes about plastic pollution. Results show that donkeys, often left to forage due to inconsistent feed supplies, are ingesting plastic at alarming rates—roughly one in every 10 to 20 items they consume is plastic. Of the samples studied, 97% contained microplastics that measured between 500 micrometers and 5 millimeters, or about 0.02 inches and 0.2 inches. Vets at Lamu's Donkey Sanctuary have long reported fatalities due to plastic-induced colic.
The study's authors warn that the problem extends beyond animal health. Microplastics can potentially enter the human food chain through contaminated animal products or crops fertilized with manure containing plastic particles. As study author Cressida Bowyer says in a press release, "Most plastic pollution originates on land, yet its impacts on land-based animals remain chronically understudied. Our findings show how urgently this knowledge gap needs to be addressed."
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