Plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is ubiquitous throughout the marine environment, yet estimates of the global abundance and weight of floating plastics have lacked data, particularly from the Southern Hemisphere and remote regions. Here we report an estimate of the total number of plastic particles and their weight floating in the world’s oceans from 24 expeditions (2007–2013) across all five sub-tropical gyres, costal Australia, Bay of Bengal and the Mediterranean Sea conducting surface net tows (N5680) and visual survey transects of large plastic debris (N5891). Using an oceanographic model of floating debris dispersal calibrated by our data, and correcting for wind-driven vertical mixing, we estimate a minimum of 5.25 trillion particles weighing 268,940 tons. When comparing between four size classes, two microplastic ,4.75 mm and meso- and macroplastic .4.75 mm, a tremendous loss of microplastics is observed from the sea surface compared to expected rates of fragmentation, suggesting there are mechanisms at play that remove ,4.75 mm plastic particles from the ocean surface.

In this study, abundance, distribution and composition of floating and seabed macro and micro litter in the Central Adriatic Sea were assessed. Floating macro litter observations were made. Floating and seabed micro litter were sampled with manta net and Van Veen grab, respectively. Micro litter particles visually found under the microscope were chemically analyzed with Fourier Transform Infrared microscope. Average calculated concentrations of floating macro (175 items/km2), floating micro (127 thousand particles/km2) and seabed micro litter (36 particles/100 g dry weight) show similar values as other published studies from the Mediterranean Sea. A statistically significant (p < 0.01) correlation between the floating micro and macro litter concentrations was found for the sites located in the channel waters. Disagreement between model and observations revealed gaps in our knowledge concerning the sea circulation and litter sources. Simultaneous samplings and observations of marine litter in different marine compartments proved possible, efficient and informative.

Several hundred million tons of plastics are produced every year. Previous studies suggest that people have contrasting behavior and perception on plastics. This study analyzes the perception of Grade 12 Marist students on plastics. One hundred thirty-two Grade 12 Marist students were asked to participate in a survey. An analysis of the results shows that plastic use is common amongst Grade 12 Marist students. Results also show that Grade 12 Marist students are highly aware and concerned about plastic use. Moreover, our findings suggest that the students have divided opinions on school policies and programs concerning plastics use while half of them think that the government is not giving enough attention to plastic pollution in the country. Likewise, responses show that there a high level of awareness and a positive view on bioplastics is widespread amongst students. The results suggest that Grade 12 Marist students have an opposing view and behavior with regards to plastics. This trend may be caused by several factors such as social desirability bias, lack of accessible plastic alternatives, or failed school programs or policies. Further studies, however, are required to genuinely identify the factors that affect the trend.

Single-use plastics, or SUPs (plastic bags, microbeads, cutlery, straws and polystyrene) are substantial sources of plastic marine pollution, yet preventable via legislative and non-legislative interventions. Various international legislative strategies have been reported to address plastic marine pollution from plastic bags and microbeads, but these have since been accompanied by recent increasing public awareness triggered by international agencies and organizations. The Sixth International Marine Debris Conference highlighted increasing intervention strategies to mitigate SUP pollution. This study presents new multi-jurisdictional legislative interventions to reduce SUPs since 2017 and incorporates emergence of new non-legislative interventions to mitigate other types of SUPs at individual and private-sector levels that complement or influence legislative interventions. Further, effectiveness of SUP bag interventions (e.g., bans vs. levies) to help reduce SUP marine pollution are presented and range between 33 and 96% reduction in bag use.

Plastic, an offer of modernity, has become one of the essential parts of our everyday life. However, it is presenting a massive threat in altered forms, to our health and environment. Plastic does not only pollute the surface environment, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, but toxic elements released from plastics also percolate down the surface and contaminate groundwater, which we often use as ‘safe’ drinking water. This probable future risk is deeply rooted in the entire governance infrastructure of plastic waste which could potentially lead to contamination of groundwater. Thus, a state-sponsored ‘safe drinking water’ initiative could contrarily produce a ‘risk society’. A recent study finds 81% of tap water samples collected worldwide contained plastic pollutants, which means that annually we may be ingesting between 3000 and 4000 microparticles of plastic from tap water. Based on review, ethnographic observations and interviews, and lived experience in a plastic-wrapped city (...

Plastic, an offer of modernity, has become one of the essential parts of our everyday life. However, it is presenting a massive threat in altered forms, to our health and environment. Plastic does not only pollute the surface environment, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, but toxic elements released from plastics also percolate down the surface and contaminate groundwater, which we often use as ‘safe’ drinking water. This probable future risk is deeply rooted in the entire governance infrastructure of plastic waste which could potentially lead to contamination of groundwater. Thus, a state-sponsored ‘safe drinking water’ initiative could contrarily produce a ‘risk society’. A recent study finds 81% of tap water samples collected worldwide contained plastic pollutants, which means that annually we may be ingesting between 3000 and 4000 microparticles of plastic from tap water. Based on review, ethnographic observations and interviews, and lived experience in a plastic-wrapped city (Dhaka), this paper sheds light on the complex interface of plastic, water, and public health, on the relevance of Beck’s ‘risk society’ to understand this complexity, and on replicating the idea of ‘risk society’ in the case of Bangladesh. Through understanding the plastic–groundwater–waste management nexus, this paper highlights and advocates for a new strategy of plastic governance in modern states.

Sommario La presenza di macro e microplastica in mare è aumentata negli ultimi anni. L'interesse verso questo tema che colpisce molto l'immaginario collettivo ha generato ampia letteratura divulgativa e molti report di varie associazioni e organizzazioni. Questo lavoro fornisce informazioni scientifiche di base sulla quantità di plastica in ambiente marino ed indicazioni per un approccio moderno ed efficace alla mitigazione. Summary The presence of macro and microplastics in the marine environment has increased in recent years. The interest in this subject, that greatly affects the public opinion, has generated extensive dissemination work and technical reports from various associations and organizations. This work provides basic scientific information on the amount of plastic in the marine environment as well as a set of indications for the implementation of modern and effective mitigation strategies.

Urban streams and their associated riparian zones in western Washington contain important fish and wildlife habitat. This report summarizes the results of an in-stream salmon spawning survey from October 23, 2016 through December 16, 2016; wildlife surveys using tracking and camera traps from January to December 2016; and monthly water quality sampling from January through December 2016. Additionally, this report draws comparisons and contrasts with previous surveys that began in January 2012. Edmonds Community College students, staff, and volunteers conducted the surveys in Japanese and Big Gulches in response to requests from the City of Mukilteo and Snohomish County Airport.

The surveys demonstrate that small numbers of adult coho continue to return to Japanese Gulch for the fifth year in a row after the completion of a significant stream restoration project removing four major barriers to salmon migration (Murphy, et al. 2013; Murphy & Coale 2014; Murphy, et al. 2016a). For the second out of four years, coho have returned again to Big Gulch. In contrast to small and modest runs in the past three years, though, surveyors documented zero chum returning to Big Gulch in 2016. Two out of three necropsies of female coho in Japanese Gulch revealed evidence of pre-spawn mortality. One necropsy of a female coho in Big Gulch provided evidence of spawning. Data over three years indicate coho pre-spawn mortality rates of 40% for Japanese and 50% for Big Gulch. Wildlife monitoring confirmed sightings of cooper’s hawk in Japanese Gulch, previously reported by Mukilteo Wildlife Society.

Water quality data took on increased significance this year. A newly implemented macroinvertebrate survey documented caddisfly, mayfly, stonefly, scud, aquatic worm, and midge in both creeks, leech in Japanese Gulch, and blackfly in Big Gulch and resulted in a “fair” rating of the health of both streams. Chemical and bacteriological sampling found the streams to be in a habitable range for salmon with a couple of key exceptions. Surveyors observed a spike in E. coli in Big Gulch in May and June that returned to normal levels after City of Mukilteo officials identified and corrected a potential source of fecal coliform. Students documented high pH, low alkalinity, and high turbidity that coincided with the storm event that should have brought chum back to Big Gulch this year. Surveyors documented a significant flow of polystyrene beads in Japanese Gulch, a form of plastic pollution observed but not reported in the previous year. Distribution and density patterns suggest that a ruptured and submerged float in the detention pond may be the source. Corrective efforts are needed to stem the flow and clean up the beads.

This year, 141 students, staff and faculty volunteered for salmon monitoring, wildlife and/or water quality monitoring. Ten of these volunteers were returning volunteers from previous years, while 131 were new to the project. Overall, 353 students, staff and community members have contributed to this community-based service-learning project over the past five years. Participation has grown as faculty and students at Edmonds CC recognize the value of assisting local municipalities in their endeavors to restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat. This project serves as an example of the value of community-based citizen science and service-learning in filling the monitoring and assessment gap in current salmon and steelhead restoration throughout the Pacific Northwest.

J Gago, A Filgueiras, ML Pedrotti, Giuseppe Suaria, V Tirelli, J Andrade, J Frias, R Nash, I O’Connor, C Lopes, M Caetano, J Raimundo, O Carretero, L Viñas, J Antunes, F Bessa, P Sobral, A Goruppi, S Aliani, L Palazzo, GA de Lucia, A Camedda, S Muniategui, G Grueiro, V Fernandez, Gunnar Gerdts

Marine plastic debris floating on the ocean surface is a major environmental problem. However, its distribution in the ocean is poorly mapped, and most of the plastic waste estimated to have entered the ocean from land is unaccounted for. Better understanding of how plastic debris is transported from coastal and marine sources is crucial to quantify and close the global inventory of marine plastics, which in turn represents critical information for mitigation or policy strategies. At the same time, plastic is a unique tracer that provides an opportunity to learn more about the physics and dynamics of our ocean across multiple scales, from the Ekman convergence in basin-scale gyres to individual waves in the surfzone. In this review, we comprehensively discuss what is known about the different processes that govern the transport of floating marine plastic debris in both the open ocean and the coastal zones, based on the published literature and referring to insights from neighbouring fields such as oil spill dispersion, marine safety recovery, plankton connectivity, and others. We discuss how measurements of marine plastics (both in situ and in the laboratory), remote sensing, and numerical simulations can elucidate these processes and their interactions across spatio-temporal scales.

Globally, plastic pollution generates a dramatic environmental impact, posing an increasing hazard to wildlife and human health. Complex measures are needed at the societal level to curb this pollution trend: from changing consumer behavior, enhanced research for innovative solutions to reduce plastic production and increase plastic recycling ratio, to the usage of environmentally friendlier alternatives, improved awareness raising, and information dissemination at wider scales. There are multiple possibilities for public and stakeholders to break the plastic pollution chain: education, research, environmental NGOs, plastic industry, local authorities, policy makers, and citizens – all can play an active role in the battle against pollution. This chapter presents the ways to induce an attitude shift at the societal level toward reduction of plastic pollution, by emphasizing the risks of plastic pollution, possibilities to change consumer behavior, examples of best practices to reduce pollution and improve plastic waste management, highlighting how education and science can improve our daily decisions toward green solutions, how social media can support with dedicated applications and awareness-raising campaigns, and how each stakeholder can contribute to tackle this global challenge.

Marine ecosystems are experiencing substantial disturbances due to climate change and overfishing, and plastic pollution is an additional growing threat. Microfibres are among the most pervasive pollutants in the marine environment, including in the Southern Ocean. However, evidence for microfibre contamination in the diet of top predators in the Southern Ocean is rare. King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) feed on mesopelagic fish, which undergo diel vertical migrations towards the surface at night. Microfibres are concentrated in surface waters and sediments but can also be concentrated in fish, therefore acting as contamination vectors for diving predators feeding at depth. In this study, we investigate microfibre contamination of King Penguin faecal samples collected in February and March 2017 at South Georgia across three groups: incubating, chick-rearing and non-breeding birds. After a KOH digestion to dissolve the organic matter and a density separation step using a NaCl solution, the samples were filtered to collect microfibres. A total of 77% of the penguin faecal samples (36 of 47) contained microfibres. Fibres were measured and characterized using Fourier-Transform Infrared spec-troscopy to determine their polymeric identity. Most fibres (88%) were made of natural cellulosic materials (e.g. cotton, linen), with only 12% synthetic (e.g. polyester, nylon) or semi-synthetic (e.g. rayon). An average of 21.9 ± 5.8 microfibres g−1 of faeces (lab dried mass) was found, with concentrations more than twice as high in incubating penguins than in penguins rearing chicks. Incubating birds forage further north at the Antarctic Polar Front and travel longer distances from South Georgia than chick-rearing birds. This suggests that long-distance travelling penguins are probably more exposed to the risk of ingesting microfibres when feeding north of the Antarctic Polar Front, which might act as a semi-permeable barrier for microfibres. Microfibres could therefore provide a signature for foraging location in King Penguins.

It is very heartening to realize that the third issue of ‘Voice of Environment’ Newsletter is seeing the light of the day. We feel elated to present before you this issue. The main theme of this newsletter revolves around pertinent environmental problems and search for sustainable solutions to the problems in the long run. The authors of the different issues come from interdisciplinary backgrounds with a prolific academic profile. The entire globe is under the immediate threat of climate change, one of the greatest problems of this century. Shrinking forests, increasing population, skyrocketing pollution, erratic weather patterns are creating havoc everywhere across the planet. This is the time to be very worried about our Mother Earth and about our very existence on this planet. Extreme climate events are taking its toll on the global population and economy at large. This is the time to bring out environmental awareness and do every bit of our local actions for a sustainable future. Small sustainable local actions can result in positive actions on a global scale. This Newsletter would also contribute in its’ own way to develop environmental consciousness among people across every social strata. We thank all the people who were, directly and indirectly, involved in the conceptualization and publication of this Newsletter. They are friends in need. We sincerely hope that our humble effort would bring smiles in the face of countless readers. We as editors of this Newsletter anticipate feedback from all of our readers. There would be a separate section ‘Letters to the Editor’ from this issue where comments and suggestions for the betterment of this Newsletter are invited. We also propose to begin a separate section ‘On a lighter note’ from next issue where one can send cartoons and photo-stories related to various environmental aspects. We would also start ‘Case-Studies’ and ‘Success Stories’ from the next issue. We invite such case studies and success stories from all of our readers. It is important to note that our readers are our backbones and their contributions and suggestions for the betterment of this Newsletter are supreme. VOE neither has specific financial base nor is eligible for any international funding. So, we look forward to economic contributions and other tangible or non-tangible support from our readers who want this Newsletter to remain active and running. All readers interested in personal donations/contributions in whatever way they can write to our email: voiceofenvironmentngo@gmail.com and CC to voeeditor@gmail.com Happy Reading!

Since the mid-twentieth century, plastic has become a ubiquitous material. However, its produc- tion, consumption and disposal on a massive scale have led to a range of devastating conse- quences that together form the ‘plastic crisis’. This paper presents a novel mapping of the ways contemporary artistic visual representations narrate and politicize the plastic crisis through their different messages and aesthetics. Drawing on a multifaceted understanding of the plastic crisis and on how art navigates political and aesthetic spheres, an analysis of 35 artworks is con- ducted. Ocean plastic pollution emerges as a dominant theme, together with disposability; and these are connected to consumption patterns and consumer responsibility. However, less atten- tion is given to plastic’s dependence on fossil fuels and possible toxicity. The result is art of strik- ing beauty and emotional resonance, but that downplays the systemic nature of the plastic crisis and the urgent need to hold manufacturers and regulators to account.

Millimetre-sized plastics are numerically abundant and widespread across the world’s ocean surface. These
buoyant macroscopic particles can be mixed within the up-
per water column by turbulent transport. Models indicate that
the largest decrease in their concentration occurs within the
first few metres of water, where in situ observations are very
scarce. In order to investigate the depth profile and physical
properties of buoyant plastic debris, we used a new type of
multi-level trawl at 12 sites within the North Atlantic sub-
tropical gyre to sample from the air–seawater interface to a
depth of 5 m, at 0.5 m intervals. Our results show that plastic
concentrations drop exponentially with water depth, and decay rates decrease with increasing Beaufort number. Furthermore, smaller pieces presented lower rise velocities and were
more susceptible to vertical transport. This resulted in higher depth decays of plastic mass concentration (milligrams m−3) than numerical concentration (pieces m−3 ). Further multi-level sampling of plastics will improve our ability to predict at-sea plastic load, size distribution, drifting pattern, and impact on marine species and habitats.