• Microplastics can accumulate in fish, birds and other marine life. Because they do not break down rapidly, the amount in the sea and fish will continue to accumulate, making the problem worse over time, until we manage to reduce the amount of plastic in the sea.

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• Chemicals added to plastics can ‘leak’ even when ingested by fish and other animals. As one animal eats another, these toxins transfer to the animal fat and tissue.

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• Swedish scientists have shown that nanoplastics can enter the brains of fish through the food chain an lead to abnormal behaviour, slower eating and hyperactivity, disrupting the natural balance of their environment.

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• By 2018, in marine and freshwater ecosystems combined, microplastics had been found in more than 114 aquatic species, including various invertebrate sea animals, including crabs.

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• It is estimated that one in three fish eaten by humans contains microplastics. The highest concentrations appear to be in shellfish.