Humans produce mountains of plastic every year, upwards of 400 million metric tons annually, with much of it clogging our oceans, where unwitting animals gobble it up. New research illuminates just how damaging this can be to seabirds, including scarring, inflammation and organ failure. In some cases, it seems to be fatal. Researchers have dubbed this new plastic-induced disease "plasticosis."
"While these birds can look healthy on the outside, they're not doing well on the inside."
