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A disposable mask has been found in the feces of a juvenile green sea turtle caught off Japan's northeastern coast, a study by a team of Japanese researchers recently showed, raising concerns that plastic debris related to COVID-19 is contaminating the marine ecosystem.

While sea turtles have been known to accidentally ingest plastics for some time, no face mask had been found during the 15-year survey of the region prior to the pandemic, according to the team from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and the University of Tokyo.

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