The Analytical Scientist / Issues / 2020 / Apr / Image of the Month: The (Ugly) Face of Plastics
Spectroscopy Environmental

Image of the Month: The (Ugly) Face of Plastics

By Lauren Robertson 04/30/2020 1 min read

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Image credit: BBDO/ Newcastle University.

Say hello to Eurythenes plasticus. This newly described deep-sea amphipod has become the new face of the plastics crisis, after a team of researchers from Newcastle University discovered microplastic particles in its hindguts using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The team named the animal plasticus to send a message about the (quite literally) far-reaching consequences of plastic pollution.

References

  1. J Weston et al., Zootaxa, 4748 (2020). DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4748.1.9. Available at: https://bit.ly/3aGlDxQ

About the Author(s)

Lauren Robertson

By the time I finished my degree in Microbiology I had come to one conclusion – I did not want to work in a lab. Instead, I decided to move to the south of Spain to teach English. After two brilliant years, I realized that I missed science, and what I really enjoyed was communicating scientific ideas – whether that be to four-year-olds or mature professionals. On returning to England I landed a role in science writing and found it combined my passions perfectly. Now at Texere, I get to hone these skills every day by writing about the latest research in an exciting, creative way.

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