A recent study has revealed that a combination of different microplastics is more harmful to a small marine animal, Acartia tonsa, than exposure to a single type of plastic.

This species plays a key role in the ocean food chain, according to researchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Exeter, and collaborators in Norway.

The researchers tested how mixed microplastics affected the creatures’ survival, feeding, and the development of their eggs and offspring.

Results showed that mixed plastics led to more severe impacts, including higher death rates at certain concentrations.

Lead researcher Dr. Zara Botterell emphasised that these findings are important for understanding the true risks of plastic pollution and setting safe environmental limits.

She also highlighted the need to improve future testing methods to better reflect real-world plastic mixtures in marine environments and produce more accurate, informative results.