(Photo: VCG)

Recent research shows that deep sea animals as much as 4,500 meters under the sea have ingested microplastics.

This startling discovery shows the far-reaching effects of plastic pollution and its damage on marine ecosystems.

Microplastics, defined by scientists as particles under five millimeters in size, have been widely spread in oceans, becoming a major pollutant.

Wang Hong, Director of China’s State Oceanic Administration, said that China had begun to prevent microplastics from polluting the ocean.

Since China began manufacturing plastics in the 1950s, the Chinese government has taken measures to regulate plastic waste in oceans.

The government banned the production of plastic bags less than 0.025 millimeters thick. The Chinese government has also set a framework for plastic collection, transportation and disposal, and organized efforts to clear plastics from the ocean.

Hong said that “advancements in technology and the development in facilities will reduce the production of plastics and plastic substitutes.”