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Posted: 26th June 2023

New study into impact of plastic pollution on livestock and donkeys
The study will focus on animals on Lamu Island in Kenya where subsistence farming is common.
Researchers will examine amount of plastic cattle and donkeys ingest.

A new study by the University of Portsmouth and the Donkey Sanctuary in Lamu will examine the amount of plastic cattle and donkeys ingest, how this affects their health, and the impact on human lives. It will focus on animals on Lamu Island in Kenya which is a UNESCO world heritage site where subsistence farming is common.

Researchers aim to gain a greater understanding of the severity of plastic pollution and find ways to solve it. They will work with animal owners and local communities in order to improve animal welfare.

Previous studies on the effects of plastic pollution on animals have focused on the marine environment rather than terrestrial animals.

Scientists already have an understanding of the effects that ingesting macro and micro plastics can have on livestock. Ingesting macro plastics can lead to a loss of body condition and disease, and can also cause blockages in the digestive tract that can lead to colic, starvation and death.

Micro plastics can leech into the soil and plants that the animals eat. This can lead to reduced growth and fertility, abnormal behaviour and biochemical and structural damage.

The ingestion of plastics can impact humans as well, with livestock often ending up in the food chain, and working animals such as donkeys, supporting the livelihoods of some of the poorest communities around the world.

Project lead, Dr Leanne Proops, said: “In many countries, including Kenya, domestic animals graze open waste dumps to find food, consuming plastics that can have a dire effect on health and welfare. Even if livestock appear unharmed, meat and milk often contain micro plastics that affect human health. The problem of plastic pollution is getting worse, and we need to know how this impacts the animals that play such a major role in communities in the Global South.”

Work has already begun to assess the foraging behaviours of cows and donkeys in Lamu. The research has identified that the ingestion of plastic by free roaming domestic animals is a major problem, and initial results indicate that donkeys may be more susceptible to the effects of eating inappropriate materials.

Dr Proops continued: “The next phase of the project will see livestock faeces analysed for plastic levels. This study will be the first to directly compare the relative risks of plastic ingestion in domestic species with differing foraging ecology and morphology. This is also the first step in quantifying the impact of plastic pollution on the welfare of livestock and equids in Lamu specifically, and will help to inform potential future waste management strategies.”



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