{
  "id": 5639898,
  "title": "Shoreline scavenger shows biological effects after eating plastic foam",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/shoreline-scavenger-shows-biological-effects-after-eating-plastic-foam",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-04T20:50:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-shoreline-scavenger-biological-effects-plastic.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers at Kyushu University have discovered that wharf roaches, common shoreline scavengers, exhibit altered biological responses after consuming expanded polystyrene (EPS), commonly known as Styrofoam. The study, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, investigated the effects of EPS ingestion on these animals' lifespan, gut gene expression, and gut microbiome. While the foam did not significantly shorten the roaches' lifespans, their guts displayed changes in the expression of genes associated with chemical defense, DNA repair, and digestion. The researchers also found that several rare microbes were present only in the EPS-fed specimens, suggesting that wharf roaches may act as a sentinel species for coastal plastic pollution. The study highlights the need for improved EPS waste management, as these animals not only live alongside stranded foam but also ingest and fragment it, leading to changes in their gut microbiome.",
  "summary": "In a paper published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers at Kyushu University report on what happens when wharf roaches, a common shoreline scavenger, eat expanded polystyrene (EPS). Roaches that fed on EPS showed no significant reduction in lifespan, but their guts displayed altered expression of genes involved in chemical defense, DNA repair and digestion. Analysis of the…",
  "key_points": [
    "Wharf roaches show altered biological responses after consuming EPS.",
    "Lifespan not significantly shortened by EPS ingestion.",
    "Gut gene expression changes linked to chemical defense, DNA repair, digestion."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}