To a human, microplastics are very small at less than 5 millimeters (mm) wide. But to an insect, microplastics might be the same size as the food they usually eat. Researchers reporting in the journal Environmental Science & Technology have shown that crickets can and will consume polyethylene microplastics if their mouth is larger than the plastic particle. The study suggests that crickets—and likely many other insects—cannot distinguish plastic from food.
Crickets munch on microplastics—especially if they have a big mouth
