Simulation suggests microplastics impair ruminal fermentation

Microplastics — an emerging environmental concern — may interact with the rumen in ways that impact animal health and increase contamination in milk and meat products, according to a paper published last month in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

Research to date has confirmed the presence of microplastics — tiny bits of plastic — in everything from soils and waterways to animal feed, animal food products and human tissues. But scientists still don't understand what that means for animal health, according to Daniel Brugger, an associate professor of companion and monogastric production animal nutrition at the University of Helsinki.