Biodegradation of cellophane in the digestive tracts of echinoderms and gastropods

Experiments using Raman microspectroscopy and polarized light microscopy have provided evidence that cellophane undergoes biodegradation or chemical changes not only in the digestive tracts of sea urchins and periwinkles but also when exposed to the homogenized digestive organs of sea stars and sea urchins. Sea urchins (such as Strongylocentrotus intermedius) and periwinkles (Littorina brevicula) can ingest cellophane films, which are then shredded and modified in their digestive tracts, thereby increasing the content of microplastic particles in the surrounding environment. Raman microspectroscopy has shown the changes that occur in crystallinity and the thinning of plastic as it passes down the echinoderm digestive tract. This process makes the plastic more susceptible to further degradation in the marine environment.