MICROPLASTICS containing toxic chemicals have been found in two-thirds of water samples taken around Scotland's coasts, according to a new report.

Greenpeace scientists carried out sampling work around Scotland last year and found that 31 of 49 samples taken contained microplastic materials.

Sea water samples were collected in key foraging areas and around internationally-significant wildlife colonies before being analysed at Greenpeace's laboratory at the University of Exeter to determine toxicity levels.

Tisha Brown, oceans campaigner with Greenpeace UK, said: “Although microplastics were found in two out of three samples, this isn’t all bad news. The concentrations are lower than in many other regions of the world’s oceans, and hopefully Scottish marine life is at a proportionately lower risk than marine life in those areas.

"However, the results varied significantly in unpredictable ways, and so we would need longer-term testing to be confident of average concentrations.

"But the key finding here is that microplastics are present in some of Scotland’s most remote and unspoilt waters. Threatened seabirds and other wildlife are already exposed to them, along with the fish stocks we eat, and there is currently no coherent process or even plan to stop this problem from getting worse.”

Because of their synthetic nature and their propensity to adsorb, or attract, chemicals from seawater on to their surfaces, microplastics can also carry substantial concentrations of a range of chemical additives and contaminants. Chemicals found in the samples include those used as additives in plastics like phthalate esters, heavy metals and flame retardants – some of which have been classified as ‘toxic to reproduction’ or are suspected to have hormone disrupting properties.