Plastic pollution in the ocean may harbour novel antiobiotics

Black clumps of hardened tar dotted with plastic have been spotted on beaches in Tenerife, with researchers warning the substance is unlike any plastic pollution seen before. The 'plastitar' – described as an "unassessed threat" - was spotted in water near the Playa Grande. Javier Hernandez-Borges, an associate professor of analytical chemistry at the University of La Laguna in Tenerife, told The Guardian: "No longer is the presence of plastic in the environment limited to microplastics or a bottle in the sea. Hernandez-Borges said: "It acts like Play-Doh. And when waves carrying microplastics or any other kind of marine debris crash on to the rocks, this debris sticks to the tar." The plastitar was widespread, the researchers said, and may be related to the Canary Islands position along a key shipping lane for oil. Hernandez-Borges added: "We're convinced that this is probably found wherever you see this combination of tar – which unfortunately remains common on beaches – and microplastics." The mixture of hydrocarbons and microplastics could potentially leak toxic chemicals, he said.