One-Year Study Launches to Assess Spilled Plastic Pellets Impact

Researchers at Newcastle University and the University of Liverpool are leading a year-long study funded by The National Environment Research Council to examine the effects of a microplastic spillage on marine life and sea-birds. Tonnes of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, were released into the River Tyne following a ship collision at the Port of Tyne on July 19. Experts have been conducting necropsies on dead sea-birds at the Dove Marine Laboratory to check for ingested pellets and potential starvation risks. The investigation will also map the spread of the microplastics across beaches in the region and potentially overseas to determine the full extent of the environmental contamination.