Microplastics found in blood of tapirs and anteaters in remote Brazi
11.11.2026
The global spread of microplastics has now reached even the most remote regions of the Earth, and researchers say they have found these tiny particles in the blood of tapirs and giant anteaters from various parts of Brazil.
The international research team reported in the scientific journal Nature that they detected tiny plastic particles in 43 of the 47 animals examined, and their concentration increased the closer the animals lived to human infrastructure and waste disposal facilities.
Microplastics have long since ceased to be a problem only for the seas. The tiny plastic particles have been detected in farmland soils, on mountain peaks, in remote forests, on glaciers and in floodplains. They enter the environment via various routes: rivers carry plastic into floodplains, and in agriculture, plastic sheeting and contaminated compost can contribute to the pollution.
The particles are also spread through the atmosphere and can settle far from human settlements. The effects of micro- and nanoparticles on ecosystems and human health have not yet been conclusively established.
The latest finding in the Pantanal - the world's largest wetland and one of the most species-rich regions on Earth - is particularly striking.
The scientists found microplastics in the blood of all the animals examined there. Yet the animals lived more than 65 kilometres from the nearest built-up area and more than 112 kilometres from the nearest waste disposal facility.
For the study, the researchers examined blood samples taken between February 2021 and November 2022 from 26 lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) and 21 giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).
The animals came from a deforested area on the southern edge of the Amazon region, from the Cerrado - Brazil's humid savannahs in the south-east - and from the Pantanal. Using GPS data, the scientists tracked the animals' movements and compared their habitats with the measured microplastic levels.
The researchers found that microplastic pollution was linked to human influence on the animals' habitats. The closer the animals lived to buildings and waste disposal facilities, the higher the measured values tended to be. The particles could also reach remote regions via air and water, the study says.
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