tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/microplastics-17592/articlesMicroplastics – The Conversation2024-03-21T18:01:46Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2259372024-03-21T18:01:46Z2024-03-21T18:01:46ZMicroplastics found in artery plaque linked with higher risk of heart attack, stroke and death<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583446/original/file-20240321-28-qdlre2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3016%2C2004&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There is growing concern about the threats microplastics may pose to human health.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-side-shot-microplastics-lay-on-1995649331">Deemerwha studio/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Microplastics and nanoplastics are everywhere in our environment – including in our <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.180667">oceans</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06168-4">lakes</a>, farmland, and even <a href="https://theconversation.com/microplastics-weve-found-startling-quantities-in-the-ice-algae-that-are-essential-for-all-arctic-marine-life-204983">Arctic ice algae</a>. </p>
<p>Microplastics have also been found inside of us – with studies detecting them in various tissues including in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126124">lungs</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199">blood</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c07179">heart</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106274">placenta</a>. Understandably, concern is rising about the potential risks of microplastics on our health.</p>
<p>However, while a growing body of research has focused on microplastics and nanoplastics, there’s still a lack of direct evidence that their presence in human tissues is harmful to our health – and it’s uncertain if they are related to particular diseases. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822">new study</a> has uncovered a correlation between microplastics and heart health, though. The researchers found that people who had detectable microplastics and nanoplastics in the plaque in their arteries had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and death.</p>
<h2>Heart health</h2>
<p>The researchers looked at 257 people altogether. All of the patients were already undergoing preventative surgery to remove plaque from their carotid arteries (the main arteries that supply the brain with blood). This allowed the researchers to collect plaque samples and perform a chemical analysis. They then followed up with participants 34 months later. </p>
<p>Of the 257 participants, 150 were found to have the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in their arterial plaque – mainly fragments of two of the most commonly used plastics in the world, polyethylene (used in grocery bags, bottles and food packaging) and polyvinyl chloride (used in flooring, cladding and pipes).</p>
<p>A statistical analysis of this data found that patients with microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque had a higher risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or death from any cause, compared with those who had no microplastics or nanoplastics in their plaque.</p>
<p>The researchers also analysed the macrophages (a type of immune cell that helps remove pathogens from the body) in the patients’ arteries. They found that participants who’d had microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque also had evidence of plastic fragments in their macrophages.</p>
<p>They also looked at whether certain genes associated with inflammation (which can be a sign of disease) were switched on in the participants. They found that the participants who’d had microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque also had signs of inflammation in their genes.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A digital drawing of plaque in an artery." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583449/original/file-20240321-26-hgrfsm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583449/original/file-20240321-26-hgrfsm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583449/original/file-20240321-26-hgrfsm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583449/original/file-20240321-26-hgrfsm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583449/original/file-20240321-26-hgrfsm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583449/original/file-20240321-26-hgrfsm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583449/original/file-20240321-26-hgrfsm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The microplastics were found in samples of plaque extracted from the carotid artery.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/atherosclerotic-plaque-development-high-detail-image-181080389">Rocos/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These results may suggest an accumulation of nanoplastics and microplastics in carotid plaque could partly trigger inflammation. This inflammation may subsequently change the way plaque behaves in the body, making it less stable and triggering it to form a blood clot – which can eventually block blood flow, leading to heart attacks and strokes.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the researchers also found the presence of nanoplastics and microplastics was more common in participants who had diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This raises a lot of questions which have yet to be answered – such as why microplastics were more common in these participants, and if there may be a correlation between other diseases and the presence of microplastics in the body.</p>
<h2>Other health risks</h2>
<p>This study only focused on patients who had carotid artery disease and were already having surgery to remove the build-up of plaque. As such, it’s unclear whether the findings of this study can be applied to a larger population of people.</p>
<p>However, it isn’t the first study to show a link between microplastics and nanoplastics with poor health. Research suggests some of this harm may be due to the way microplastics and nanoplastics interact with proteins in the body.</p>
<p>For example, some human proteins adhere to the surface of <a href="https://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-020-00676-5">polystyrene nanoplastics</a>, forming a layer <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33340622">surrounding the nanoparticle</a>. The formation of this layer may influence the <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c05772#">activity and transfer</a> of nanoplastics in human organs.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi8716">Another study</a> suggested that nanoplastics can interact with a protein called alpha-synuclein, which in mouse studies has been shown to play a crucial role in facilitating communication between nerve cells. These clumps of nanoplastics and protein may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nanoplastics-linked-to-parkinsons-and-some-types-of-dementia-new-study-218188">Nanoplastics linked to Parkinson's and some types of dementia – new study</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>My <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023001381?via%3Dihub">published PhD research</a> in chicken embryos found that nanoplastics may cause congenital malformations due to the way they interact with a protein called cadherin6B. Based on the interactions myself and fellow researchers saw, these malformations may affect the embryo’s eyes and neural tube, as well as the heart’s development and function. </p>
<p>Given the fact that nanoplastics and microplastics are found in carotid plaque, we now need to investigate how these plastics got into such tissues. </p>
<p>In mice, it has been demonstrated that <a href="https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112346">gut macrophages</a> (a type of white blood cell) can absorb microplastics and nanoplastics into their cell membrane. Perhaps a similar mechanism is taking place in the arteries, since nanoplastics have been identified in samples of carotid plaque macrophages.</p>
<p>The findings from this latest study add to a growing body of evidence showing a link between plastic products and our health. It is important now for researchers to investigate the specific mechanisms by which microplastics and nanoplastics cause harm in the body.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225937/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meiru Wang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The findings of this recent study adds to a growing body of evidence linking microplastics with health harms.Meiru Wang, Postdoctoral Researcher, Molecular Biology and Nanotoxicology, Leiden UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253542024-03-18T19:21:57Z2024-03-18T19:21:57ZStudy links microplastics with human health problems – but there’s still a lot we don’t know<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582403/original/file-20240317-28-ha8xio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=62%2C0%2C7008%2C4668&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/microplastics-hand-air-pollution-aquatic-food-2164471827">Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822">recent study</a> published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health.</p>
<p>The study involved patients in Italy who had a condition called carotid artery plaque, where plaque builds up in arteries, potentially blocking blood flow. The researchers analysed plaque specimens from these patients. </p>
<p>They found those with carotid artery plaque who had microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death (compared with carotid artery plaque patients who didn’t have any micro- or nanoplastics detected in their plaque specimens). </p>
<p>Importantly, the researchers didn’t find the micro- and nanoplastics <em>caused</em> the higher risk, only that it was correlated with it. </p>
<p>So, what are we to make of the new findings? And how does it fit with the broader evidence about microplastics in our <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aax1157">environment</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022001258">our bodies</a>?</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1769355367689908357"}"></div></p>
<h2>What are microplastics?</h2>
<p>Microplastics are plastic particles less than five millimetres across. Nanoplastics are less than one micron in size (1,000 microns is equal to one millimetre). The precise size classifications <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.024">are still a matter of debate</a>. </p>
<p>Microplastics and nanoplastics are created when everyday products – including clothes, food and beverage packaging, home furnishings, plastic bags, toys and toiletries – degrade. Many personal care products contain microsplastics in the form of microbeads.</p>
<p>Plastic is also used widely in agriculture, and can degrade over time into microplastics and nanoplastics.</p>
<p>These particles are made up of common polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride. The constituent chemical of polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride, is <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=281&toxid=51">considered carcinogenic</a> by the <a href="https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/vinyl-chloride.pdf">US Environmental Protection Agency</a>.</p>
<p>Of course, the actual risk of harm depends on your level of exposure. As toxicologists are fond of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcpt.12622">saying</a>, it’s the dose that makes the poison, so we need to be careful to not over-interpret emerging research.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-are-washing-microplastics-down-the-drain-and-its-ending-up-on-our-farms-223079">Australians are washing microplastics down the drain and it's ending up on our farms</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A closer look at the study</h2>
<p>This new study in the New England Journal of Medicine was a small cohort, initially comprising 304 patients. But only 257 completed the follow-up part of the study 34 months later. </p>
<p>The study had a number of limitations. The first is the findings related only to asymptomatic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (a procedure to remove carotid artery plaque). This means the findings might not be applicable to the wider population.</p>
<p>The authors also point out that while exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics has been likely increasing in recent decades, heart disease rates have been <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.015293">falling</a>.</p>
<p>That said, the fact so many people in the study had detectable levels of microplastics in their body is notable. The researchers found detectable levels of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride (two types of plastic) in excised carotid plaque from 58% and 12% of patients, respectively. </p>
<p>These patients were more likely to be younger men with diabetes or heart disease and a history of smoking. There was no substantive difference in where the patients lived.</p>
<p>Inflammation markers in plaque samples were more elevated in patients with detectable levels of microplastics and nanoplastics versus those without. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Plastic bottles washed up on a beach." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Microplastics are created when everyday products degrade.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-waste-beach-1234533793">JS14/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And, then there’s the headline finding: patients with microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque had a higher risk of having what doctors call “a primary end point event” (non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, or death from any cause) than those who did not present with microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque.</p>
<p>The authors of the study note their results “do not prove causality”.</p>
<p>However, it would be remiss not to be cautious. The history of environmental health is replete with examples of what were initially considered suspect chemicals that avoided proper regulation because of what the US National Research Council refers to as the “<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12209/science-and-decisions-advancing-risk-assessment">untested-chemical assumption</a>”. This assumption arises where there is an absence of research demonstrating adverse effects, which obviates the requirement for regulatory action. </p>
<p>In general, more research is required to find out whether or not microplastics cause harm to human health. Until this evidence exists, we should adopt the precautionary principle; absence of evidence should not be taken as evidence of absence.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/were-all-ingesting-microplastics-at-home-and-these-might-be-toxic-for-our-health-here-are-some-tips-to-reduce-your-risk-159537">We're all ingesting microplastics at home, and these might be toxic for our health. Here are some tips to reduce your risk</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Global and local action</h2>
<p>Exposure to microplastics in our home, work and outdoor environments is inevitable. Governments across the globe have started to acknowledge we must intervene. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/nations-agree-end-plastic-pollution">Global Plastics Treaty</a> will be enacted by 175 nations from 2025. The treaty is designed, among other things, to limit microplastic exposure globally. Burdens are greatest <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119957">especially in children</a> and especially those in low-middle income nations. </p>
<p>In Australia, legislation <a href="https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/our-programs-and-projects/single-use-plastics-ban">ending single use plastics</a> will help. So too will the increased rollout of <a href="https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/containerdeposit/">container deposit schemes</a> that include plastic bottles.</p>
<p>Microplastics pollution is an area that requires a collaborative approach between researchers, civil societies, industry and government. We believe the formation of a “microplastics national council” would help formulate and co-ordinate strategies to tackle this issue.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-problem-with-oodies-hooded-blankets-are-cosy-but-they-are-not-great-for-oceans-or-our-health-163087">The problem with Oodies: hooded blankets are cosy but they are not great for oceans or our health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Little things matter. Small actions by individuals can also translate to significant overall environmental and human health benefits. </p>
<p>Choosing natural materials, fabrics, and utensils not made of plastic and disposing of waste thoughtfully and appropriately – including recycling wherever possible – is helpful.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225354/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Patrick Taylor is a full-time employee of EPA Victoria, appointed to the statutory role of Chief Environmental Scientist.
He previously received funding via an Australian Government Citizen Science Grant (2017-2020), CSG55984 ‘Citizen insights to the composition and risks of household dust’ (the DustSafe project). Outputs from this project included published work on microplastics with Drs Neda Sharifi Soltani and Scott Wilson who were at Macquarie University at that time.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Scott P. Wilson works for the Australian Microplastic Assessment Project run by the not for profit organisation the Total Environment Centre. He has previously received funding from the NSW EPA for research into microplastic source tracking in Deewhy Lagoon and for developing a Microlitter Reduction Framework. </span></em></p>Microplastics are created when everyday products – including clothes, food and beverage packaging, home furnishings, plastic bags, toys and toiletries – degrade.Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversityScott P. Wilson, Research Director, Australian Microplastic Assessment Project (AUSMAP); Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2240642024-03-14T19:24:44Z2024-03-14T19:24:44ZWhat washing machine settings can I use to make my clothes last longer?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581554/original/file-20240313-30-b0w0se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=194%2C310%2C4780%2C3135&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-accidentally-dyeing-laundry-inside-washing-236885413">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Orbiting 400 kilometres above Earth’s surface, the astronauts on the International Space Station live a pretty normal social life, if not for one thing: they happily wear their unwashed clothes <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-interns-take-space-washing-machine-designs-for-a-spin/">for days and weeks at a time</a>. They can’t do their laundry <a href="https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Keeping_your_underwear_clean_on_the_Moon">just yet</a> because water is scarce up there.</p>
<p>But down here on Earth, washing clothes is a large part of our lives. <a href="https://bigee.net/media/filer_public/2013/03/28/bigee_domestic_washing_machines_worldwide_potential_20130328.pdf">It’s estimated</a> that a volume of water equivalent to 21,000 Olympic swimming pools is used every day for domestic laundry worldwide.</p>
<p>Fibres from our clothes make their way into the environment via the air (during use or in the dryer), water (washing) and soil (lint rubbish in landfill). Most of this fibre loss is invisible – we often only notice our favourite clothing is “disappearing” when it’s too late.</p>
<p>How can you ensure your favourite outfit will outlast your wish to wear it? Simple question, complex answer.</p>
<h2>Washing machines are not gentle</h2>
<p>When you clean the filters in your washing machine and dryer, how often do you stop to think that the lint you’re holding <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-laundry-releases-microfibres-weighing-the-equivalent-of-1-500-buses-each-year-199712"><em>was</em>, in fact, your clothes</a>?</p>
<p>Laundering is harsh on our clothes, and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250346">research confirms this</a>. Several factors play a role: the type of washing machine, the washing cycle, detergents, temperature, time, and the type of fabric and yarn construction. </p>
<p>There are two types of domestic washing machines: top-loader and front-loader. Mechanical agitation (the way the machine moves the clothes around) is one of the things that helps ease dirt off the fabric.</p>
<p>Top-loaders have a vertical, bucket-like basket with a paddle, which sloshes clothes around in a large volume of water. Front-loaders have a horizontal bucket which rotates, exposing the clothes to a smaller volume of water – it takes advantage of gravity, not paddles.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A person selecting a program on a front loader washing machine panel with buttons." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Washing machine programs tend to be carefully programmed to ensure minimal damage to the garments.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-washing-machine-5591460/">RDNE Stock Project/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Top-loading machines <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12541-010-0047-7">tend to be more aggressive</a> towards fabrics than front-loaders due to the different mechanical action and larger volumes of water. </p>
<p>Washing machine panels also present many choices. Shorter, low-temperature programs <a href="https://clevercare.info/more-eco-temperature-tips">are usually sufficient for everyday stains</a>. Choose longer or <a href="https://iprefer30.eu/animations/UK/wash-brochure-uk.pdf">high-temperature programs</a> only for clothing you have concerns about (healthcare uniforms, washable nappies, etc.).</p>
<p>Generally, washing machine programs are carefully selected combinations of water volume, agitation intensity and temperature recommended by the manufacturer. They take into consideration the type of fabric and its level of cleanliness.</p>
<p>Select the wrong program and you can say goodbye to your favourite top. For example, high temperatures or harsh agitation may cause some fibres to weaken and break, causing holes in the garment.</p>
<h2>Some fabrics lose fibres more easily than others</h2>
<p>At a microscopic level, the fabric in our clothes is made of yarns – individual fibres twisted together. The nature and length of the fibres, the way they are twisted and the way the yarns form the fabric can determine how many fibres will be lost during a wash.</p>
<p>In general, if you want to lose fewer fibres, you should wash less frequently, but some fabrics are affected more than others. </p>
<p>Open fabric structures (knits) with loose yarns <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98836-6">can lose more fibres</a> than tighter ones. Some sports clothing, like running shirts, are made of continuous filament yarn. These fibres are less likely to come loose in the wash. </p>
<p>Cotton fibres are only a few centimetres long. Twisted tightly together into a yarn, they can still escape.</p>
<p>Wool fibres are also short, but have an additional feature: scales, which make wool clothes much more delicate. Wool fibres can come loose like cotton ones, but also tangle with each other during the wash due to their scales. This last aspect is what causes wool garments to shrink when <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/004051756403400303">exposed to heat</a> and agitation.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A tangle of white fibres in a loose web." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cotton fibres under a microscope, magnified 100 times.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fibres-under-microscope-100x-1013172277">Dr. Norbert Lange/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/laundry-is-a-top-source-of-microplastic-pollution-heres-how-to-clean-your-clothes-more-sustainably-217072">Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution – here's how to clean your clothes more sustainably</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Go easy on the chemicals</h2>
<p>The type of detergent and other products you use also makes a difference.</p>
<p>Detergents contain a soap component, enzymes to make stains easier to remove at low temperature, and fragrances. Some contain harsher compounds, such as bleaching or whitening agents.</p>
<p>Modern detergents are very effective at <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/laundry-detergents/review-and-compare/laundry-detergents">removing stains such as food</a>, and you don’t need to use much.</p>
<p>An incorrect choice of wash cycles, laundry detergent and bleaching additives could cause disaster. Certain products, like bleach, can <a href="https://site.extension.uga.edu/textiles/textile-basics/understand-your-fibers/">damage some fibres like wool and silk</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, research on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120366872?via%3Dihub">fabric softeners and other treatments</a> <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233332&type=printable">continues</a> – there’s no one-size-fits-all answer about their potential impact on our clothes.</p>
<h2>Just skip laundry day</h2>
<p>So, how to ensure your clothes last longer? The main tip is to wash them less often.</p>
<p>When it’s time for a wash, carefully read and follow the care labels. In the future, our washing machines will <a href="https://www.teknoscienze.com/tks_article/trends-in-laundry-by-2030/">recognise fabrics and select the wash cycle</a>. For now, that’s our responsibility.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-your-clothes-last-longer-its-good-for-your-bank-account-and-the-environment-too-201823">How to make your clothes last longer – it's good for your bank account and the environment too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>And the next time you throw your shirt into the dirty laundry basket, stop. Think of the astronauts orbiting above Earth and ask yourself: if they can go without clean laundry for a few days, maybe I can too? (Although we don’t recommend just burning your dirty undies, either.)</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C1j6KLP492E?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224064/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alessandra Sutti has received research funding from the Australian Research Council, the Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre, the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre and by companies participating in associated projects such as the ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres and the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Green Chemistry, as well as from industry partners associated with these grants, such as HeiQ Pty Ltd, Xefco Pty Ltd, C. Sea Solutions Pty Ltd (trading as ULUU) and Simba Global Pty/Ltd. Alessandra is a paid member of the HeiQ Innovation Advisory Board, is a member of the American Chemical Society and serves as a volunteer member on Standards Australia ME-009 Committee (Microplastics). She collaborates closely with The GLOBE Program (through GLOBE Italy), The University of California Berkeley and San Francisco State University, co-developing microplastics monitoring protocols and is involved in environmental education programmes.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amol Patil is engaged at the ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres, a collaboration between Deakin University, the Australian Research Council and industry partners such as Simba Global Pty Ltd, Xefco Pty Ltd, HeiQ Pty Ltd, and Sea Solutions P/L (trading as ULUU). He is also working on a joint project sponsored by HeiQ-Marine bioproducts (MBCRC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maryam Naebe is the recipient of Discover Natural Fibre Initiative Innovation Award. She has received funding through competitive grants and industry projects including Australian Research Council ARC Research Hub, ARC Discovery Project, Australian Wool Innovation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Incorporated (USA), Ford Motor Company (USA).
</span></em></p>Next time you do your laundry, think like an astronaut – wash your clothes as little as possible.Alessandra Sutti, Associate Professor, Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin UniversityAmol Patil, Reseach Engineer, Deakin UniversityMaryam Naebe, Associate professor, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2230792024-02-16T04:57:13Z2024-02-16T04:57:13ZAustralians are washing microplastics down the drain and it’s ending up on our farms<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576094/original/file-20240215-30-6i3a89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C34%2C5725%2C3794&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-young-woman-doing-laundry-home-1491577367">Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian wastewater treatment plants produce thousands of tonnes of treated sewage sludge every year. This nutrient-rich material is then dried to make “biosolids”, which are used to fertilise agricultural soil. </p>
<p>Unfortunately every kilogram of biosolids also contains thousands of tiny pieces of plastic. These pieces are so small they can only be seen under a microscope, so they’re called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/microplastics">microplastics</a>.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135423015117">our new research</a>, we sampled biosolids from three states and calculated the average contribution of microplastics per person: 3g in New South Wales and 4.5g in Queensland. But the average in South Australia was 11.5g – that’s about the same amount of plastic as a plastic bag.</p>
<p>Roughly 80% of this microplastic comes from washing clothes. We need to protect agricultural soil from contamination by making simple changes at home, mandating filters on washing machines and introducing more effective wastewater treatment. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/microplastics-are-common-in-homes-across-29-countries-new-research-shows-whos-most-at-risk-189051">Microplastics are common in homes across 29 countries. New research shows who's most at risk</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Biosolids as fertiliser</h2>
<p>Most domestic wastewater comes from household kitchens, bathrooms and laundries. </p>
<p>Wastewater treatment separates most of the water and leaves sewage sludge behind. This mixture of water and organic material can then be sent to landfill for disposal or dried to form a material called “biosolids”.</p>
<p>In Australia, two-thirds of the <a href="https://www.biosolids.com.au/guidelines/australian-biosolids-statistics/">340,000 tonnes produced annually</a> are used on farms to improve soil quality and stimulate plant growth. This not only boosts agricultural productivity but also allows for more sustainable disposal of treated sewage sludge. The waste becomes a resource, a useful and economically viable fertiliser, rather than ending up in landfill.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-1-200-tonnes-of-microplastics-are-dumped-into-aussie-farmland-every-year-from-wastewater-sludge-137278">More than 1,200 tonnes of microplastics are dumped into Aussie farmland every year from wastewater sludge</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Microplastics in Australian biosolids</h2>
<p>Wastewater treatment plants can capture anywhere from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2022.107831">60% to more than 90%</a> of the microplastics in sewage before the wastewater is discharged. But plastic is durable and does not degrade during treatment. So the microplastic particles removed from the wastewater are simply transferred to the sludge. </p>
<p>We assessed the abundance, characteristics and size ranges of microplastics in biosolids collected from 13 wastewater treatment plants across three states.</p>
<p>We found every kilogram of biosolid contains between 11,000 and 150,000 microplastic particles. </p>
<p>Most of the microplastics found were invisible to the naked eye, ranging from 20 to 200 micrometres in size. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Grid showing four separate microscopy images of microplastics in biosolid samples" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575745/original/file-20240214-24-di49kb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Various microplastic particles from biosolid samples can be as seen under the microscope.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shima Ziajahromi</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The most common type of microplastic was microfibres from fabric. We found more microplastic fibres during cold seasons. We suspect this corresponds to people washing more synthetic fleece clothing and blankets. </p>
<p>Microbeads are tiny balls of microplastic sometimes added to personal care products and detergents. We did not find any microbeads in samples from South Australia and New South Wales. These states were among the first to support a <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/plastics-and-packaging/plastic-microbeads">voluntary industry phase-out of plastic microbeads</a>. </p>
<p>In contrast, we found a small amount of microbeads in samples from Queensland, which only <a href="https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/98573">banned microbeads in September last year</a>. That was more than a year after samples were collected for this study.</p>
<p>We estimate Australians release between 0.7g and 21g of microplastics per person into wastewater every year. This wide range is based on our results, which varied from state to state: 0.7g to 5.9g in NSW, 1g to 7.2g in Queensland and 1.9g to 21g in SA. We don’t know why it varies so much between states.</p>
<p>This contributes to the amount of microplastics in biosolids. Our biosolid samples contained anywhere from 1kg to 17kg of microplastics per tonne. Remember this is being transported into our farmlands.</p>
<h2>What’s the problem?</h2>
<p>Microplastics are steadily accumulating in agricultural soils, where they will remain for hundreds of years. While natural weathering processes such as sunshine and rain will slowly break down microplastics into smaller and smaller particles, that only makes matters worse. Smaller particles cause more harmful effects to soil organisms.</p>
<p>Eating small pieces of plastic can cause internal abrasions and blockages in the digestive tract. In very small aquatic animals such as zooplankton, microplastics can reduce absorption of nutrients from food, <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.7b03574">decrease reproduction rates, and cause death</a>.</p>
<p>These tiny particles also contain a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7355763/">cocktail of toxic chemicals</a>, either added during manufacturing to improve the product or soaked up from the environment. This makes them <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389420319026?casa_token=4Ny10i4YQ_UAAAAA:71b3vKN1UUA7TaSKkWQ76Up0TiRR_MoE6enVmKLeynDLo_2alsz_5aWeNS_Eal5LchEt91Gedg">even more dangerous</a>.</p>
<p>Smaller microplastics (less than 100 micrometres in size) are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389423005113">even more harmful for soil organisms</a>. </p>
<p>Microplastics in soil can be ingested by soil organisms such as earthworms and cause harmful effects on these vital organisms. Microplastic exposure has also been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149338">adversely affect soil health and plant growth</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.biosolids.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Emerging-Contaminants-in-Biosolids-Research-report.pdf">Australian regulations</a> govern the amounts of heavy metals, nutrients, pathogens and some emerging contaminants allowed in biosolids, but there is no guideline for microplastics concentrations. We think that has to change. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Stockpiles of biosolids from sludge lagoons with a tractor in the background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574840/original/file-20240212-18-j43xxo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Biosolids from sludge lagoons in South Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SA Water</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Here’s what we can do</h2>
<p>Our research shows biosolids are a significant source of microplastics in agricultural systems. More research is needed to better understand the risks. </p>
<p>We need to put effective control measures in place to minimise the accumulation of microplastic in productive agricultural soils. </p>
<p>The most effective way to do this is to reduce the level of microplastics in biosolids at the source. </p>
<p>We know most microplastics in biosolids come from washing clothes. While it may not be possible to eliminate the use of synthetic fabrics, there are some measures we can all take to reduce the amount of microplastic washing off our clothes into the wastewater stream. Properly installed <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.777865">filters in washing machines</a> have been shown to significantly reduce microplastic levels in wastewater. </p>
<p>Australia’s <a href="https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-plastics-plan-2021.pdf">National Plastics Plan</a> recommends the Australian government work with industry to “phase-in” microfibre filters on all washing machines by 2030. But why wait until 2030? </p>
<p>Several jurisdictions, including <a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000041553759">France</a>, <a href="https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-279">Ontario</a> and <a href="https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/ca/20212022/bills/CAB00022073/">California</a>, have already made microfibre filters on washing machines mandatory. It’s time Australia did the same. </p>
<p>In the meantime, there are simple things everyone can do at home. Wash clothes in cold water, avoid running the machine for light loads if you can wait to do a full load, and wash synthetic fabrics less frequently. These steps will also save energy and money. </p>
<p>It’s far better to stop microplastics entering the wastewater stream than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213343722007047?via%3Dihub">trying to remove them at the wastewater treatment plant</a>. Prevention is always better than a cure. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/humanitys-signature-study-finds-plastic-pollution-in-the-worlds-lakes-can-be-worse-than-in-oceans-209487">'Humanity's signature': study finds plastic pollution in the world's lakes can be worse than in oceans</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223079/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shima Ziajahromi receives funding from the Queensland Government through Advance Queensland Industry Research Project. This project was co-sponsored by Urban Utilities, Sydney Water, SA Water, Water Corporation (WA) and Eurofins Environment Testing Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Frederic Leusch receives funding related to this research topic from the Queensland Government through an Advance Queensland Industry Research Project, Water Research Australia, and various Australian water utilities. This project was co-sponsored by Urban Utilities, Sydney Water, SA Water, Water Corporation (WA) and Eurofins Environment Testing Australia.</span></em></p>We sampled sewage sludge from 13 wastewater treatment plants across three states. We found every resident adds microplastics to farmland, in dried sewage sludge (biosolids) used as fertiliser.Shima Ziajahromi, Advance Queensland Research Fellow, Griffith UniversityFrederic Leusch, Professor of Environmental Science, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2216552024-02-06T14:27:03Z2024-02-06T14:27:03ZMicroplastics found in Nile River’s tilapia fish: new study<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570625/original/file-20240122-15-ncnbn9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A fisherman on the River Nile.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Nile is one of the world’s most famous rivers. It’s also Africa’s most important freshwater system. <a href="https://www.rti.org/impact/nile-river-basin-initiative#:%7E:text=The%20longest%20river%20in%20the,%2C%20Rwanda%2C%20Burundi%2C%20Tanzania%2C">About 300 million people</a> live in the 11 countries it flows through. Many rely on its waters for agriculture and fishing to make a living. </p>
<p>The Nile’s two main tributaries, the Blue Nile and the White Nile, come together in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum. This industrial hub has <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/khartoum-population">grown rapidly over the past few decades</a>.</p>
<p>The Nile is not immune to the same pollutants that affect rivers all over the world. Plastic debris is of particular concern. Over time plastics break down into smaller pieces known as microplastics. These are tiny plastic particles with a maximum size of five millimetres, all the way down to the nanoscale. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40501-9">Recent research</a> found that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>rivers are modelled to export up to 25,000 tons of plastics from their sub-basins to seas annually. Over 80% of this amount is microplastic.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This has huge negative consequences for biodiversity and the climate. As microplastics degrade, scientists have found, they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213343722019200">produce greenhouse gases</a>. Airborne microplastics may influence the climate by scattering and absorbing solar and terrestrial radiation, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/microplastics-may-be-cooling-and-heating-earths-climate/">leading to atmospheric warming or cooling</a> depending on particle size, shape and composition. It also negatively affects <a href="https://www.undp.org/kosovo/blog/microplastics-human-health-how-much-do-they-harm-us">animal and human health</a>. Microplastics <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/envhealth.3c00052">have been shown</a> in laboratory studies to be toxic to animals and cells. </p>
<p>Much of the research about microplastics in African waters has focused on marine and coastal areas. To address this gap, I <a href="https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(23)10601-3.pdf">conducted a study</a> to assess the presence of microplastics in the River Nile in Khartoum. My students and I tested for the presence of microplastics in Nile tilapia. This popular African freshwater fish species <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/2/974">forms the basis</a> of commercial fisheries in many African countries, including Sudan.</p>
<p>The results do not make for happy reading. In the 30 freshly caught fish we surveyed, we found a total of 567 microplastic particles. This shows that the River Nile is contaminated with microplastics that can be consumed or absorbed in various ways by the tilapia and other aquatic organisms.</p>
<h2>Our sample</h2>
<p>The fish used in our study were caught just after the meeting point of the two Niles, known in Arabic as Al-Mogran. </p>
<p>We visited the Al-Mawrada fish market in the Omdurman area, which is also alongside the Nile. All 30 specimens we bought were freshly caught. </p>
<p>We dissected the fish to remove their digestive tracts. The individual tracts were treated so they would digest any organic matter they contained without interfering with the analysis of microplastics. The resulting solution was subject to another extraction procedure and we then conducted physical and chemical analyses.</p>
<p>Every specimen had microplastics in its digestive tract.</p>
<p>The number ranged from as few as five to as many as 47 particles per single fish. In total we identified 567 particles. This is high compared to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653520331659">studies</a> that have <a href="https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2430557/v1">reported microplastics</a> in tilapia species in other rivers and lakes. There is, as yet, no global guideline or standard for what might be an “acceptable” number.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fish-in-a-major-south-african-river-are-full-of-microplastics-186017">Fish in a major South African river are full of microplastics</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Shape, size and colour</h2>
<p>We detected different sizes of microplastics (0.04mm to 4.94mm), shapes (fibres, fragments, films, foams and pellets) and colours. The most common were very small (less than 1mm), fibrous – they appear slender and elongated – and coloured (dyed).</p>
<p>These characteristics make sense because of how fish and other aquatic organisms feed. Nile tilapia are versatile feeders: they consume a variety of organisms including phytoplankton, aquatic plants, invertebrates, detritus, bacterial films, as well as other fish and fish eggs. That puts them at a high risk of ingesting microplastics.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lagos-beaches-have-a-microplastic-pollution-problem-128133">Lagos beaches have a microplastic pollution problem</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Nile tilapia are also more likely to consume particles that are within a similar size range as their natural prey, as well as the same shape and colour.</p>
<p>Smaller microplastics are especially good carriers for other pollutants such as heavy metals, resulting in additional health risks. Their small size also makes it easier for them to move into organs like the liver. Studies have found microplastics in the tissues, muscles, livers, blubber and lungs of other <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X15002581">aquatic</a> as well as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974912301254X">marine mammal species</a>.</p>
<p>Fibres, the most dominant shape found in our specimens, stay in the intestine for longer than other microplastic shapes. This, too, can lead to health problems for the fish. Coloured microplastics contain dyes, many of which <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-023-05168-1">contain toxic chemicals</a>. </p>
<p>This all has serious implications for human health, as people catch and eat the fish, which introduces those <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/86342">microplastics and associated chemicals into their bloodstreams</a>.</p>
<h2>Pollution sources</h2>
<p>Where does all this plastic originate? For starters, 65% of plastic waste in Khartoum is disposed of in <a href="https://www.ijsr.net/archive/v4i3/SUB151879.pdf">open dumps</a>. From there, it contaminates water bodies and other parts of the environment.</p>
<p>The city’s wastewater treatment system is ineffective. The three wastewater treatment plants in Khartoum state, Karary, Wd-Daffiaa and Soba, are outdated and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214785321069704?via%3Dihub">do not meet local and international standards</a>. That means untreated effluent from domestic, industrial and agricultural activities is another probable source of microplastic pollution.</p>
<p>There are also countless recreational sites along the River Nile in Khartoum. The Nile Street is the most popular in the capital city, hosting water sports, restaurants, cafes, clubs, event venues and hotels, as well as the tea ladies (women who serve hot beverages from makeshift mobile cafes along the banks of the river). However, waste disposal and collection practices are sorely lacking, so plastic litter from these leisure activities leaks into the river.</p>
<h2>No easy fix</h2>
<p>Tackling microplastic pollution is not easy. It will require technological advances, as well as the collective efforts of consumers, producers, governments and the scientific community.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/plastic-pollution-in-nigeria-is-poorly-studied-but-enough-is-known-to-urge-action-184591">Plastic pollution in Nigeria is poorly studied but enough is known to urge action</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As consumers, we need to change our behaviour around plastic products, especially single-use plastics. For example, opt for fabric shopping bags instead of plastic bags; use glass and metal containers. Recycling is also important.</p>
<p>Governments must enforce waste management regulations and improve waste management practices, as well as helping to improve public awareness. Strategies and policies must explicitly feature microplastics.</p>
<p>Scientists can not only fill the knowledge gaps around microplastics. Communicating scientific findings is crucial; so too is developing innovations to protect against microplastics and their harmful effects.</p>
<p><em>I would like to thank and acknowledge my student Hadeel Alamin, who conducted this study with me.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221655/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The project was funded by the Royal Society – UK.</span></em></p>The River Nile is contaminated with microplastics.Dalia Saad, Researcher, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2212842024-01-22T20:05:54Z2024-01-22T20:05:54ZTiny water-walking bugs provide scientists with insights on how microplastics are pushed underwater<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570372/original/file-20240119-29-p4evyd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=242%2C9%2C5985%2C4146&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You may hardly feel a raindrop, but for some tiny insects, one drop can have an intense impact. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/raindrop-royalty-free-image/682204834?phrase=raindrop+falling&adppopup=true">Mendowong Photography/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.06.074">Microplastics are tiny plastic particles</a> that can cause <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410821">big problems</a> when they enter the water supply. One way my <a href="https://www.dickersonlab.com/">fluid dynamics lab</a> explores microplastic movement is by studying how tiny water-walking insects are pushed underwater by raindrops.</p>
<p>Exposure to microplastic pollution can pose health risks, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020496">respiratory and digestive problems</a>, increased <a href="https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4056">risk of diabetes</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041212">disrupted sleep</a>. But <a href="https://mabe.utk.edu/people/andrew-dickerson/">physicists like me</a> can study how they move through water to learn how to clean them up. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/water-strider">Water striders</a> are tiny insects that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01793">walk on water</a>. They’re abundant in humid, rainy areas, and some species go their entire lives without ever touching land. Raindrops can weigh more than 40 times a water strider, and during storms they occasionally strike striders directly. The drops form a tiny crater under the surface of the water that envelops the strider before jettisoning it out as the crater collapses back to the surface. </p>
<p>The water striders have strong exoskeletons that allow them to survive being hit by a raindrop. Because these insects are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.04.901">water-repellent</a> and very lightweight, they usually bounce right back. But sometimes the raindrops will form a second, smaller crater right below the surface. The second crater usually forms from a large, fast drop.</p>
<p>If the water strider finds itself inside this second crater, it could get trapped under the water. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four photos showing a raindrop colliding with the surface of the water, the first showing a dip below the surface in which a small, long-legged insect floats, the second showing the insect meeting the surface, and the third showing another small sip with the insect inside, and the fourth showing the insect submerged under the water." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570376/original/file-20240119-18-v7fklk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Raindrops form two craters, the second of which can submerge striders.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daren A. Watson and Andrew K. Dickerson, from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In my lab’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2315667121">latest study</a>, we captured water striders from local ponds and released falling drops above their tanks. We used high-speed videography and image analysis to see how fast the insects submerged when the raindrops hit them.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I also measured the acceleration of the second, smaller crater. This crater retracts quickly – according <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2315667121">to our measurements</a>, 50 times the acceleration due to gravity. Water striders cannot support themselves inside this second bubble, as the surface they’re on moves upward so quickly, and they might fall underwater and become submerged. If that happens, the water striders make powerful swimming strokes to try to resurface.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two illustrations show the process of a strider underwater using its legs to kick up to the water's surface." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=121&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=121&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=121&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=153&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=153&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570392/original/file-20240119-25-h4qkfd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=153&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Striders can often kick back up to the surface if they get submerged, unlike plastic particles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daren A. Watson and Andrew K. Dickerson, from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Like water striders, microplastics are very light and often water-repellent. They tend to move on top of the water in a similar way, and raindrops can submerge them. When pollutants get submerged, they’re <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-020-00983-1">harder to clean up</a>, and <a href="https://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/5257">marine life might consume</a> them.</p>
<p>Our research tells us that the second crater’s quick acceleration toward the water’s surface plays a big part in sinking tiny particles – water striders and microplastics alike.</p>
<p>Studying how small particles and organisms disperse in water could help scientists figure out how to prevent and mediate microplastic pollution. </p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>Water striders are so water-repellent that they carry a bubble around them <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112008002048">called a plastron</a> when pushed underwater.</p>
<p>In the lab, the more times they are struck by drops before repelling away the water, the more likely water striders are to remain submerged <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2315667121">for extended periods</a>.</p>
<p>Raindrop impacts seem to deplete the plastron. We don’t yet know how many repeated impacts striders can tolerate and how chemical pollutants in waterways affect their resistance to submersion. </p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Future work will replace the water striders in our experiments with floating particles that mimic microplastics, with a range of size, density and water-repellency. We expect larger particles to make the drops break apart upon contact, while the smaller particles will likely get carried into the air, or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-021-00018-8">aerosolized</a>, by the splash.</p>
<p>And the striders aren’t just good models for microplastic movement. Studying water striders’ legs as they swim could also help researchers design underwater robots.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221284/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Dickerson receives funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>Microplastic pollution is a growing problem − one lab is looking at tiny insects as inspiration for how these pollutants might move through water.Andrew Dickerson, Assistant Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2204982024-01-16T14:14:16Z2024-01-16T14:14:16ZDangerous chemicals found in recycled plastics, making them unsafe for use – experts explain the hazards<p>Plastic pollution is a menace worldwide. Plastics are now <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abg5433">found</a> in every <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c04158">environment</a> on the planet, from the deepest seas to the atmosphere and human bodies. </p>
<p>Scientific evidence <a href="https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4056">describing harm</a> to the environment and humans is growing. Hence, the United Nations has <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/39812/OEWG_PP_1_INF_1_UNEA%20resolution.pdf">resolved</a> to <a href="https://enb.iisd.org/negotiations/international-legally-binding-instrument-plastics-pollution-including-marine#:%7E:text=The%20United%20Nations%20Environment%20Assembly,pollution%2C%20including%20in%20the%20marine">negotiate</a> a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. </p>
<p>Strategies to achieve this goal include provisions throughout the plastics lifespan: production, use, waste management and remediation. </p>
<p>In designing rules for managing plastic, it’s important to understand that plastic materials and waste streams are complex. Not all plastics are the same. And recycled plastics are not necessarily “better” – less harmful – than virgin plastics. If they contained harmful chemicals to begin with, recycling doesn’t make them less harmful. And sometimes they are contaminated by other substances.</p>
<p>We conducted a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340923008090?via%3Dihub">study</a> identifying and measuring the concentration of contaminants in recycled pellets from 28 small-scale recycling facilities in the global south. Plastic waste is often exported from high income countries to less developed countries, with few to no requirements for reporting their makeup.</p>
<p>Our investigation covered facilities in Cameroon, Mauritius, Nigeria, Tanzania and Togo in Africa as well others in Asia, Europe and South America. </p>
<p>We found 191 pesticides, 107 pharmaceuticals and 81 industrial compounds among many others in the recycled plastic pellets. Many of these chemicals could be hazardous and make the plastics unsuitable for reuse.</p>
<p>This finding can inform regulations for recycled plastics. The chemical composition of the plastic should be checked before it is recycled. </p>
<h2>Chemicals used in production of plastics</h2>
<p>More than <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/report/chemicals-plastics-technical-report">13,000 chemicals</a> are currently used in the production of plastic materials and products. They can include thousands of plastics additives – but also substances that are added unintentionally. Some unwanted chemicals form during the production or life of plastics. Thousands of these chemicals have dangerous properties. The health risks of some others are unknown. </p>
<p>Throughout the plastics value chain, during production, use, waste and recycling, other chemicals can contaminate the material too. The result may be recycled materials whose chemical composition is unknown. </p>
<p>Previous studies have reported the presence of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.10.014">plastics additives</a> in recycled materials. Among them were chemicals that are <a href="https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/chemicals-waste/what-we-do/emerging-issues/endocrine-disrupting-chemicals">known</a> to have <a href="https://www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/overview-endocrine-disruption">negative effects on health</a>. Examples include <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0055387">phthalates</a> (plastic softeners), bisphenols like <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303720706002292">BPA</a>, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969721044478?via%3Dihub">UV-stabilisers</a> used to protect plastics from sun damage and yellowing.</p>
<p>In our work, we established the presence of chemicals in recycled plastic that can cause harm to humans or other organisms. They include pesticides, pharmaceuticals and fragrances. Others are chemicals that result from burning natural materials, man-made organic chemicals used for industrial applications like paint, and ultraviolet filters.</p>
<p>We quantified a total of 491 different chemical substances. Some had specific uses and others formed from the breakdown of products.</p>
<p>Some national and regional policies <a href="https://www.basel.int/Implementation/Plasticwaste/Globalgovernance/tabid/8335/Default.aspx">regulate</a> the allowable concentration of hazardous chemicals in specific plastic products. But only 1% of plastics chemicals are subject to international regulation in existing multilateral environmental agreements. Policies don’t adequately address the issue of transparent reporting of chemicals in plastics across their value chain. Also, there are no laws to govern monitoring of chemicals in recycled materials. This is a <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk9846">serious gap</a> in oversight. Stronger and more globally coordinated measures are necessary. </p>
<p>Our findings emphasise the importance of regulating mechanical recycling, as many of the substances measured were contaminants and not plastic additives. Many of the chemicals we identified may have contaminated the materials during use. For example, a jug used for storing pesticides will absorb some of the pesticides and will contaminate the recycling waste stream. Plastics in the environment are also known to absorb <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X11005960">organic pollutants</a>. </p>
<p>To assess the quality of recycled plastics, it’s crucial to know which chemicals are present and in what concentrations. This information can guide regulations about how recycled plastics may be used. It will also be valuable for plastics producers, waste management workers (including recyclers), consumers, and the scientific community.</p>
<h2>A path towards safer reuse of plastics</h2>
<p>To recycle more materials safely, several changes are necessary. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>increased transparency regarding the use of chemicals and their risks </p></li>
<li><p>chemical simplification of the plastics market, so that fewer and less toxic chemicals are permitted for use</p></li>
<li><p>improved waste management infrastructure with separated waste streams </p></li>
<li><p>improved recycling methods, including monitoring of hazardous chemicals.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Chemical simplification of plastic additives will promote sustainability, safety and regulatory compliance. It will help manufacturers to minimise the environmental impact and adverse health effects of complex chemical formulations. Simpler chemical structures also improve the recycling potential of plastics and make recycling more efficient and cost-effective.</p>
<p><a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.1c04903">Chemical simplification</a> can also reduce potential health risks in the disposal of plastic materials. </p>
<p>From a regulatory perspective, chemical simplification supports clearer and more enforceable safety guidelines.</p>
<p>It’s is a crucial step towards the sustainable production and use of plastics, as countries work towards a legal instrument to end pollution.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220498/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bethanie Carney Almroth receives funding from the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development
FORMAS (grant number 2021-00913) and The Carl Tryggers Foundation (grant number 21:1234).
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eric Carmona Martinez received funding from Carl Trygger Foundation. </span></em></p>Recycled plastics are not safe if the chemicals used in creating them in the first place are harmful.Bethanie Carney Almroth, Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of GothenburgEric Carmona Martinez, Scientist, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2170722024-01-12T13:28:09Z2024-01-12T13:28:09ZLaundry is a top source of microplastic pollution – here’s how to clean your clothes more sustainably<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568922/original/file-20240111-28-mex9ej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C5028%2C3334&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Laundry washwater is a major source of microplastic fibers that can end up in water and soil.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/view-inside-the-washing-machine-while-washing-royalty-free-image/862037340">Venca-Stastny/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Microplastics are turning up everywhere, from <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/plastics-remote-places-microplastics-earth-mount-everest">remote mountain tops</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180667">deep ocean trenches</a>. They also are in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani13040661">many animals</a>, <a href="https://www.undp.org/kosovo/blog/microplastics-human-health-how-much-do-they-harm-us">including humans</a>. </p>
<p>The most common microplastics in the environment are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/microfiber">microfibers</a> – plastic fragments shaped like tiny threads or filaments. Microfibers come from many sources, including cigarette butts, fishing nets and ropes, but the biggest source is synthetic fabrics, which constantly shed them.</p>
<p>Textiles shed microfibers while they are manufactured, worn and disposed of, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5173">especially when they are washed</a>. A single wash load can release <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158511">several million microfibers</a>. Many factors affect how many fibers are released, including fabric type, mechanical action, detergents, temperature and the duration of the wash cycle. </p>
<p><a href="https://sites.rutgers.edu/judith-weis/research-career/">My research</a> focuses on coastal ecology and water pollution, including work in New York and New Jersey marshes and estuaries that are heavily affected by human activities. Here are some things to know about reducing microplastic pollution from your washing machine.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A tangle of red fibers under a microscope." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Red microfibers collected from coastal waters in a towed sample off Newport, Ore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/science-blog/mysterious-microfibers">NOAA Fisheries</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>From fabric to water and soil</h2>
<p>Once garments release microfibers in washing machines, the fibers enter the wastewater stream, which generally goes to a wastewater treatment plant. Advanced treatment plants <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2021.100264">can remove up to 99% of microfibers</a> from water. But since a single laundry load can produce millions of fibers, treated water discharged from the plant still contains a huge number of them.</p>
<p>Microfibers that are removed during treatment end up in <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/what-is-sewage-sludge-and-what-can-be-done-with-it">sewage sludge</a> – a mix of solid materials that is processed to remove pathogens. In many cases, treated sewage sludge is applied to soil as a fertilizer. This allows microfibers to enter air and soil, and to be transferred to soil organisms and up the terrestrial food web or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677">taken up by crops</a>. </p>
<p>Microplastics that wash into rivers, lakes and bays can have many harmful effects. They may be consumed by fish and other aquatic animals, affecting their <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13503">biochemistry, physiology, reproduction, development or behavior</a>. These microplastics contain chemical additives, including substances like <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html">phthalates</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/BisphenolA_FactSheet.html">bisphenol A</a> that can leach out and may have health effects in humans and animals, including <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/exposure/endocrine">effects on the endocrine system</a>.</p>
<p>Textile microfibers also contain additional chemicals that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/jul/02/fashion-chemicals-pfas-bpa-toxic">have been shown to be toxic</a>, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biori.2019.09.001">fabric dyes</a>, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxics10070361">anti-wrinkle agents</a> and <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/flame_retardants">flame retardants</a>. In addition, contaminants that are present in the water, such as metals and pesticides, can stick to microplastic particles, turning them into a veritable cocktail of contaminants that may be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03263">transferred into animals that eat them</a> </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/83NL-8hZcFE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Textiles are a major source of microfiber pollution, which now is widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Washing more sustainably</h2>
<p>Not all fabrics shed microfibers at the same rate. A loosely woven fabric that feels fluffy or fuzzy, such as fleece, sheds more than a tightly woven one. While garments made of natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, would appear to be a solution, unfortunately they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250346">also shed microfibers</a> that can pick up pollutants in the environment.</p>
<p>Some textile scientists and manufacturers are developing <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Polluting-Textiles-The-Problem-with-Microfibres/Weis-De-Falco-Cocca/p/book/9780367760755">fabrics that shed less than existing ones</a>, thanks to features such as longer fibers and coatings to reduce shedding. Meanwhile, here are some ways to reduce microfiber shedding from your laundry:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Do laundry less often. Washing full loads instead of partial loads reduces release of microfibers because garments are <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/laundry_microplastics.htm">exposed to less friction</a> during the wash cycle.</p></li>
<li><p>Use cold water, which <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233332">releases fewer microfibers</a> than hot water.</p></li>
<li><p>Use less detergent, which increases microfiber release.</p></li>
<li><p>Use a front-loading washing machine, whose tumbling action <a href="https://www.neefusa.org/story/water/what-you-should-know-about-microfiber-pollution">produces less microfiber release</a>. </p></li>
<li><p>Dry laundry <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.025">on a clothesline</a>. Running clothes in dryers releases additional microfibers into the air from the dryer vent.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Several types of products collect microfibers in the washer before they are released with wastewater. Some are laundry bags made of woven monofilament, a single-polyamide filament that does not disintegrate into fibers. Laundry is washed while enclosed in the bag, which traps microfibers that the garments release. A study of one such product, <a href="https://guppyfriend.us/">Guppyfriend</a>, found that it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158412">collected about one-third of released microfibers</a>. </p>
<p>Another device, the <a href="https://coraball.com/">Cora Ball</a>, is a plastic ball with spines topped with soft plastic discs that capture microfibers. It <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.12.012">reduces microfibers by about 25% to 30%</a>, but may not be suitable for loose knits because it can snag on threads and damage clothing. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A white box with a dial sits on top of a washing machine." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">External filters, like this Samsung version, can be attached to washing machines to remove most microfibers from wastewater.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://news.samsung.com/us/press-resources/media-library/?searchTerm=microfiber">Samsung U.S.</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Filter your washwater</h2>
<p>Several brands of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2023/washing-machine-microplastic-filter/782986">external filters</a> <a href="https://celsious.com/products/planetcare-microfiber-filter">are available</a> that can be <a href="https://www.trendwatching.com/innovation-of-the-day/samsungs-laundry-filter-works-with-any-brands-washers-and-captures-98-percent-of-microfibers">retrofitted onto existing washing machines</a>. External filters can <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym15143023">remove up to 90% of microfibers from rinse water</a>. Their average cost is about US$150. Owners need to clean the filters periodically and dispose of the collected microfibers with other solid waste, not down the drain, which would put them back into the wastewater stream.</p>
<p>In a 2021 study, researchers installed washing machine filters in 97 homes in a town in Ontario, Canada, which represented about 10% of the households in the community. They found that this <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.777865">significantly reduced microfibers in treated water</a> from the local treatment plant.</p>
<p>Some companies are now manufacturing washers with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9ZmO1fN8t8">built-in microfiber filters</a>. France has <a href="https://www.textiletechnology.net/fibers/trendreports/eu-whitepaper-challenges-commission-to-tackle-microplastic-pollution-33929">enacted a requirement</a> for all new washing machines to be equipped with filters by 2025, and Australia has announced that <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8185735/washing-machine-filters-a-no-brainer-to-cut-pollution/">filters will be required</a> in commercial and residential washers by 2030. </p>
<p>In the U.S., a similar requirement was passed by the California legislature in 2023, but Gov. Gavin Newsom <a href="https://www.ehn.org/microplastic-filter-for-washing-machine-2666047363.html">vetoed the bill</a>, saying he was concerned about the cost to consumers. An economic study commissioned by Ocean Conservancy found that filters would increase the price of washing machines by <a href="https://tnc.app.box.com/s/jnf42lcjxjc1h5y168csa8dm31knf9y8">only $14 to $20 per machine</a>. Several states are <a href="https://dealerscope.com/2023/10/microplastics-may-lead-to-big-changes/">considering regulations that would require filters in washers</a>.</p>
<p>In my view, requiring manufacturers to add filters that can trap microfibers to washing machines is a reasonable and affordable step that could rapidly reduce the enormous quantities of microfibers in wastewater. The eventual solution will be reengineered textiles, which won’t shed, but it will take some time to develop them and move them into clothing supply chains. In the meantime, filters are the most effective way to tackle the problem.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217072/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Judith Weis is affiliated with. Beyond Plastics, Ocean Conservancy</span></em></p>Your washing machine is polluting the ocean.Judith Weis, Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University - NewarkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2199922023-12-20T10:19:43Z2023-12-20T10:19:43ZGlitter is ready-made microplastic pollution – time to ditch it this Christmas<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566599/original/file-20231219-21-485vpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5751%2C3828&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fir-branch-balls-festive-lights-on-539456221">Efetova Anna / shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A few months ago, shoppers in Germany were reported to have been stockpiling decorative glitter. That’s because it is now officially <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/09/glitter-sales-surge-in-germany-before-eu-microplastics-ban-this-week">banned in the EU</a>.</p>
<p>Glitter is made of plastic, and since plastic doesn’t really degrade, almost every bit ever made can still be found somewhere. The glitter you used for your Xmas decorations a decade ago probably still exists. Close to home, it’s likely to be trapped between the fibres of your carpet, wedged between your keyboard or even consumed by your pet or you. Further afield, it may have made its way into the ocean. </p>
<p>Glitter is widely used to decorate clothing, arts and crafts and in cosmetic products. But, let’s call it what it is, beyond the shimmer and the sparkle, glitter is a microplastic. </p>
<p>This means it gets everywhere. But despite it’s glitzy, harmless appearance, it has many adverse impacts. Here are five reasons why you should ditch glitter this Xmas: </p>
<h2>1. It prevents recycling</h2>
<p>The problem with glitter is that it isn’t biodegradable and is a contaminant. Glitter makes products that you may normally wish to recycle, such as wrapping paper, no longer recyclable.</p>
<p>This is why many councils across the UK have put out <a href="https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/home/1361970/north-devon-christmas-waste-and-recycling-collections.html">guidance on festive waste</a>, reminding households not to put shiny or glittery Christmas cards or wrapping paper in recycling bags. It will contaminate the load and you may run the risk of having your recycling left at your doorstep.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Child putting glitter on christmas card" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566605/original/file-20231219-27-btuv3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566605/original/file-20231219-27-btuv3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566605/original/file-20231219-27-btuv3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566605/original/file-20231219-27-btuv3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566605/original/file-20231219-27-btuv3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566605/original/file-20231219-27-btuv3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566605/original/file-20231219-27-btuv3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">No longer recyclable.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/little-child-making-christmas-card-black-1867846933">New Africa / shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even if you go for sustainable biodegradable glitter or glittery wrapping paper and so on, there is no way of distinguishing this at the point of recycling. So it’s probably better to go into your general waste rather than recycling bins. Besides, there are concerns “eco-glitter” causes <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/oct/15/eco-glitter-causes-same-damage-to-rivers-as-ordinary-product-study">similar damage</a> to our oceans as traditional glitter.</p>
<h2>2. Fish think it’s food</h2>
<p>Due to its size and scale, lots of plastic glitter will inevitably make its way into water, drains, rivers and eventually the oceans. Marine life often mistakes the floating particles for food, which has been shown to significantly impact the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1519019113">reproduction rates of oysters</a>, while also making other animals <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687428522000218">less active</a>, less responsive to predator cues, more likely to be eaten and less likely to thrive.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Glitter being washed off a hand in the sink" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566597/original/file-20231219-27-bywi2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ocean bound.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-unrecognizable-woman-removing-purple-glitter-2377485429">David Pereiras / shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Microplastics can harm us too</h2>
<p>Microplastics are also increasingly being found inside human bodies. One study estimated that humans ingest or inhale more than <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517">100,000 bits of plastic</a> each day. Eliminating plastic glitter would be one less source of microplastics to worry about. </p>
<p>Glitter is produced through plastics PET or PVC and covered with synthetic materials for its visual shimmer. The substances used to make glitter are known to <a href="https://ipen.org/site/plastics-toxic-additives">harm human health</a>.</p>
<h2>4. Microplastics work their way up the food chain</h2>
<p>Aside from finding its way into your roast turkey from Xmas cards, party crackers and decorative baubles, growing research suggests microplastics ultimately end up back on our dinner tables. It’s consumed by <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/glitter-plastics-ocean-pollution-environment-spd">plankton, fish, shellfish, seabirds and other marine life</a>, thus passing through the food chain and eventually reaching us. </p>
<p>Besides, microplastics are like magnets for other toxic pollutants, adding an additional layer of contamination, which may find its way up the food chain, onto our plates. </p>
<h2>5. Glitter is so dangerous because it’s so small</h2>
<p>Due to its ubiquitous nature and minuscule size, it can be argued that glitter is more dangerous than other members of the microplastics family. Glitter is already a microplastic, making it easier to spread and contaminate our soil, air, water and food. It’s widely accessible, pervasive in nature and washing it down the drain only means it ends up in the ocean.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166445X23001935?via%3Dihub">study</a> from earlier this year concluded that a few specs of glitter can impede the growth of organisms that play a key role in water and soil cycles.</p>
<p>While restricting glitter is only a minuscule step in addressing the broader microplastics problem, the EU has taken a lead on this, while plastic glitter is still accessible in the UK. Leading UK retailers such as Morrisons should be commended for taking a stance and <a href="https://www.morrisons-corporate.com/media-centre/corporate-news/morrisons-goes-completely-glitter-free/">going completely glitter free</a>. </p>
<p>Banning or at least avoiding glitter obviously won’t save the climate or reverse the extinction crisis. But if we are to protect our planet, no step is too small. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219992/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kamran Mahroof does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Five reasons to avoid glitter, even on Christmas cards or baubles.Kamran Mahroof, Associate Professor, Supply Chain Analytics, University of BradfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2181882023-11-29T16:28:10Z2023-11-29T16:28:10ZNanoplastics linked to Parkinson’s and some types of dementia – new study<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562164/original/file-20231128-19-g1z53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4608%2C3456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-hands-senior-woman-trying-hold-2197824919">meeboonstudio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since it was <a href="https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/chemistry/age-plastic-parkesine-pollution">first produced</a> at the start of the 20th century, synthetic plastic – and especially plastic packaging – has been an ever-present fixture in everyday life. Yet all the convenience plastic has given us comes at a price. </p>
<p>When plastic breaks down slowly over time, it produces ever smaller parts called microplastics and nanoplastics – depending on their size. These tiny bits of plastic contaminate water and food sources and can enter humans and other living organisms. Indeed, researchers found that tiny plastic particles can be found in the blood of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199">most adults tested</a>.</p>
<p>We are only beginning to discover the harms these plastics can cause. It is of particular concern that nanoplastics are so tiny they can cross the protective blood-brain barrier and even enter individual neurons (a type of brain cell).</p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi8716">new study</a> has shown that nanoplastics can induce changes within the brain that are seen in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is one of the fastest-growing and most devastating neurological disorders. It is characterised by the death of a specialist population of nerve cells that control movement. </p>
<p>The researchers showed that nanoplastics found in the environment can interact with a protein called alpha-synuclein. This protein occurs naturally in every brain where it plays a role in nerve cell communication. However, in diseases such as Parkinson’s and some forms of dementia, alpha-synuclein changes. </p>
<p>The proteins clump together, forming so-called alpha-synuclein fibrils. These fibrils can then be found accumulating in nerve cells in people with Parkinson’s disease and some forms of dementia. Normally, alpha-synuclein is recycled within the nerve cells, but when the protein starts to clump together, the machinery in the cells cannot keep up with the waste. </p>
<p>The researchers used a wide variety of laboratory techniques to investigate the effect of nanoplastics on cells and live mice. The team used nanoparticles of polystyrene, a material commonly used to produce single-use items such as drinking cups.</p>
<p>They found that the nanoplastics bound tightly to alpha-synuclein and caused it to form toxic clumps similar to what is seen in Parkinson’s disease. Importantly, the interaction between alpha-synuclein and the nanoplastics was seen across three models tested. These were test tubes, cultured nerve cells and live mice.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cRLB7WqX0fU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Parkinson’s disease explained.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The researchers made four important observations. First, nanoplastics rapidly and tightly bind alpha-synuclein. Second, nanoplastics promote alpha-synuclein accumulation and fibril formation. Third, nanoplastics and alpha-synuclein can enter cultured neurons and impair protein breakdown (the naturally occurring disposal of protein clumps, such as alpha-synuclein fibrils). </p>
<p>Fourth, when nanoplastics and alpha-synuclein were injected into healthy mouse brains, alpha-synuclein fibrils formed and were found in nerve cells across the brain. This is one of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease and associated types of dementia. </p>
<p>In a few animals, the researchers saw that the injection of nanoplastics alone (without alpha-synuclein) caused alpha-synuclein fibrils to form and accumulate in nerve cells. This last point is the most concerning because it shows that nanoplastics can promote alpha-synuclein fibril formation by themselves in the nerve cells that specifically die in Parkinson’s disease in a living organism. </p>
<h2>Far-reaching implications</h2>
<p>These results highlight the need for further monitoring of plastic waste and environmental pollution. The effect of microplastics in promoting cancer and immune diseases is actively being researched, but this study further supports the notion that microplastics have far-reaching implications on human health. </p>
<p>The question of how and whether the interaction between the nanoplastics and alpha-synuclein occurs in the human brain remains unanswered and further research is needed. More research is also needed to understand whether different types of plastic have different effects. </p>
<p>Still, the results shine a light on potential environmental factors that promote Parkinson’s disease development. This in turn could lead to monitoring specific at-risk groups who have been exposed to large quantities of nanoplastics and whether these people suffer an increased number of neurological diseases.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218188/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janosch Heller receives funding from Irish Research Council. </span></em></p>Microscopic flakes of polystyrene can enter brain cells and cause harm, a new study in mice has shown.Janosch Heller, Assistant Professor in Biomedical Sciences, Dublin City UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2168542023-11-20T12:19:35Z2023-11-20T12:19:35ZMyths about plastic pollution are leading to public confusion: here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559909/original/file-20231116-24-7i6zsv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5463%2C3637&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/volunteer-collects-garbage-on-muddy-beach-1923099980">STEKLO/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Does the prediction that there could be “<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3408064/A-sea-plastic-Trash-outweigh-fish-ocean-just-30-years-unless-drastic-action-taken-recycle.html">more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050</a>” concern you? How about reports that “<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/31/us/microplastic-credit-card-per-week/index.html">we eat a credit card’s worth of plastic per week</a>”? These are some of the “facts” about plastic that are cited by the media. </p>
<p>They are certainly compelling sound bites and help to focus public and policy attention on the pressing topic of plastic pollution, but their scientific basis is far from robust. </p>
<p>The scientists whose findings were used to support the “more plastic than fish” claim <a href="https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/fishy-figures-underpin-ministers-ocean-plastic-warning/">refuted this</a>. But one scientist who worked on the original source the estimation is based on has now updated his figures. The claim is further undermined by the assumptions the calculation is based on and an underestimate of fish stocks. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.wur.nl/en/newsarticle/research-calculates-human-consumes-less-than-a-grain-of-salt-of-microplastics-per-week.htm">Research</a> has also found that humans ingest less than a grain of salt of microplastics each week. This means that it would take around 4,700 years to ingest an amount of plastic equivalent to the weight of a credit card. </p>
<p>Over the past three years I’ve been interviewing households in the UK, Spain and Germany about plastics as part of a <a href="https://www.ukri.org/news/8-million-for-sustainable-plastics-research-projects/">project</a> focused on improving the recycling of plastic packaging. I’ve been struck by the level of confusion people have about the sources of and risks associated with plastic pollution. </p>
<p>So, in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.hereon.de/institutes/coastal_environmental_chemistry/index.php.en">Hereon Institute of Coastal Environmental Chemistry</a> and <a href="https://www.ahnenenkel.com">communications experts</a>, I have launched an online resource called “<a href="https://plasticmyths.coastalpollutiontoolbox.org/">Plastic Mythbusters</a>” that aims to debunk popular plastic myths that regularly feature in media. </p>
<p>Negotiations are currently under way in Nairobi, Kenya, at the UN Environment Programme headquarters, to develop a legally binding <a href="https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution">global plastics treaty</a> that covers the full life cycle of plastics – including their production, design and disposal. The <a href="https://ikhapp.org/scientist-about-us/">Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty</a> – a network of independent scientific and technical experts – are calling for decisions to be based on robust evidence.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-global-treaty-to-solve-plastic-pollution-acid-rain-and-ozone-depletion-show-us-why-207622">We need a global treaty to solve plastic pollution – acid rain and ozone depletion show us why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The focus of the negotiations is understandably on research from the natural sciences. But what role does media play in shaping public and policy responses to the plastics crisis? </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1724412615957618885"}"></div></p>
<h2>Images of plastic pollution</h2>
<p>The images of plastic pollution that are sometimes used by media are emotive and powerful, reaching vast numbers of people. The BBC’s <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09g4d98/blue-planet-ii-series-1-3-coral-reefs">Blue Planet II</a>, which was broadcast worldwide in 2017, showed audiences the impact of plastic waste on the oceans through upsetting scenes. One scene depicted a pilot whale carrying her <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/heartbroken-blue-planet-ii-viewers-pledge-to-cut-plastic-waste-after-upsetting-footage-of-whale-with-dead-calf-poisoned-by-pollution-a3695596.html">dead newborn calf</a>, which narrator Sir David Attenborough said possibly died because the mother’s milk had been poisoned with plastic.</p>
<p>Scenes such as these are now synonymous with plastic pollution. They can raise awareness of the problem and help to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-plastics/article/global-perceptions-of-plastic-pollution-the-contours-and-limits-of-debate/DB3F2AF3F0A176C73CBF6CC9576713D3">shape the discourse</a> on environmental policy.</p>
<p>After Blue Plant II aired, online searches for “dangers of plastic in the ocean” <a href="https://rapidtransition.org/stories/the-attenborough-effect-and-the-downfall-of-plastics/">increased by 100%</a>. Michael Gove, UK environment secretary at the time, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/19/michael-gove-haunted-by-plastic-pollution-seen-in-blue-planet-ii">said</a> he was “haunted” by images of the damage done to the world’s oceans shown in the series and then introduced a series of proposals aimed at cutting plastic pollution. </p>
<p>However, there is <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-that-blue-planet-ii-is-pushing-hard-on-plastic-pollution-in-the-oceans-but-please-use-facts-not-conjecture-87973">no clear evidence</a> in the Blue Planet II sequence that the mother’s milk was actually contaminated with plastics. Imagery such as this can also promote the idea that plastic pollution is a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X20300266">problem far removed</a> from our everyday lives and that our actions, whether it be dropping plastic litter or engaging in local clean up initiatives, will have little effect. There is still <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.280?campaign=wolearlyview">no robust evidence</a> linking Blue Planet II to a sustained change in people’s behaviours.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-that-blue-planet-ii-is-pushing-hard-on-plastic-pollution-in-the-oceans-but-please-use-facts-not-conjecture-87973">It’s great that Blue Planet II is pushing hard on plastic pollution in the oceans – but please use facts, not conjecture</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Sidelining issues</h2>
<p>The way in which the media presents the issue of plastic pollution can shape the preference for certain solutions and sidelines others. For instance, many people <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X20300266">believe</a> that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a large collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean – is a solid mass. Framing the problem in this way assumes that plastic pollution can be removed from the ocean with the <a href="https://theoceancleanup.com/boyan-slat/">correct technology</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1723861272154808608"}"></div></p>
<p>However, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0281596">scientists describe</a> the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as more akin to a “growing plastic smog” that does contain larger plastic items but is also composed of <a href="https://www.coastalpollutiontoolbox.org/112202/index.php.en">trillions of micro and nanoplastics</a> spread over large distances. </p>
<p>Experts <a href="https://hereon.de/innovation_transfer/communication_media/news/112329/index.php.en">point out</a> that technical fixes are not always the answer, particularly where plastic is spread over huge areas resembling a very thin “plastic soup”. In such cases, technical fixes are less practical, especially when considering the continuous addition of more plastic due to unchecked production. </p>
<h2>Power of media to set the agenda</h2>
<p>There is a <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(23)00497-9">growing consensus</a> advocating for investment in measures to curb plastic production, rather than investing in costly technical clean-up efforts. However, by emphasising the individual responsibility of consumers to, for example, avoid single-use plastics, media coverage can divert conversations away from reducing plastic production.</p>
<p>The connection between plastics and climate change, or the impact of plastics on global biodiversity loss, are also not often covered by the media as much as emotionally charged images depicting marine animals entangled in plastics.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Green sea turtle entangled in a discarded fishing net." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559908/original/file-20231116-15-nvkm9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559908/original/file-20231116-15-nvkm9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559908/original/file-20231116-15-nvkm9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559908/original/file-20231116-15-nvkm9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559908/original/file-20231116-15-nvkm9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559908/original/file-20231116-15-nvkm9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559908/original/file-20231116-15-nvkm9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Green sea turtle entangled in a discarded fishing net.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/green-sea-turtle-entangled-discarded-fishing-783912829">Mohamed Abdulraheem</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The original focus of the global plastics treaty was on marine litter, but it now encompasses the full life cycle of plastic pollution on all ecosystems. This includes plastic pollution in the atmosphere, and in marine, terrestrial and high altitude environments. This wider scope opens up the opportunity to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-plastics/article/global-perceptions-of-plastic-pollution-the-contours-and-limits-of-debate/DB3F2AF3F0A176C73CBF6CC9576713D3">explore public perceptions</a> of the full life cycle of plastics.</p>
<p>The media is an invaluable resource that can play a key role in shaping how people perceive various issues. However, while it can effectively highlight the dangers of plastic pollution, there is a risk that an excessive reliance on emotive imagery may distract away from the policy that is actually needed. </p>
<p><em>In response to this article, a BBC spokesperson said that there is significant scientific evidence that contaminants found in some plastics can accumulate in fish and be ingested by adult whales. Those contaminants are then passed on to the offspring through the mother’s milk.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216854/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lesley Henderson receives funding from UKRI/NERC/Innovate UK/ GCRF/ European Space Agency.</span></em></p>Media coverage of the dangers of plastic pollution can distract from what is actually needed, says an author.Lesley Henderson, Chair professor, University of Strathclyde Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2155062023-10-24T10:51:21Z2023-10-24T10:51:21ZDoing laundry by hand sheds just as many microfibres as machine washing – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555254/original/file-20231023-17-xkvoz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C63%2C1076%2C783&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Most of the world washes their clothing by hand.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-washing-river-female-water-3447847/">elJad/Pixabay</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Between <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-023-25246-8#Sec10">6,500 and 87,000 tonnes</a> of microfibres are shed during domestic laundering every year in the UK. Many of these minuscule fibres end up in rivers and oceans, with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749119340552?via%3Dihub">devastating consequences</a> for aquatic animals and environments.</p>
<p>As a result, environmental advocacy groups in the <a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3077">UK</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiehailstone/2023/04/21/eu-urged-to-mandate-microplastic-filters-in-new-washing-machines/">EU</a> and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/filters-on-laundry-machines-lead-to-significant-cut-in-microfibre-pollution-ontario-study-finds-1.6241689">North America</a> are campaigning for legislation to mandate microfibre-catching filters for all new washing machines. </p>
<p>But microfibre pollution isn’t limited to machine washing. Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139391">new research</a> shows that washing clothing by hand can shed just as many microfibres as laundry washed in a machine. </p>
<p>This is an issue. More than half of the global population <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652623035497?via%3Dihub">doesn’t have regular access to a washing machine</a> and so launder “off-grid”, such as by hand. Hand washing laundry often involves a lot of scrubbing and abrasion that sheds fibres. Wastewater from hand laundering may flow directly into rivers or onto concrete and stone “laundry decks”, bypassing wastewater treatment facilities even where such facilities are available.</p>
<p>Resolving the microfibre pollution problem necessitates more than just installing washing machine filters. It requires changes in how textiles are designed, manufactured and traded on a global scale.</p>
<h2>Fibres shed from hand laundry</h2>
<p>Scientific research into fibre shedding often overlooks people that hand launder their clothes, with the predominant focus being on the fibres shed by conventional electric washing machines. Although scientists from countries where many people wash by hand <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1020919/full">have observed</a> that these methods result in fibre shedding, they have seldom received the necessary support to measure or compare the quantity of fibres shed. </p>
<p>Our research was conducted with colleagues from Isabela State University in the Philippines, Wollongong University in Australia and seven other universities across the UK. We held a workshop and observed hand laundering practices in the Cagayan River Valley in the northern Philippines. We then replicated the hand laundering techniques demonstrated by the local community within a laboratory. </p>
<p>Our experiments measured the fibres shed from both pre-washed and brand-new 100% polyester trousers purchased from a UK high street store. These trousers closely resembled the polyester clothing we found in markets in the Philippines and the garments we observed being hand laundered there.</p>
<p>We found that hand washing these trousers using a plastic scrub brush led to fibre shedding levels of between <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652623035497?via%3Dihub">6,499 and 64,500</a> individual fibres per garment. This is comparable to the levels reported for machine laundering. It is evident that hand laundering is not necessarily gentler on textiles than machine laundry.</p>
<h2>Measuring ‘sheddability’</h2>
<p>People who hand wash their clothes employ various techniques. These are based on the textiles they are washing and the purpose an item of clothing serves. Clothing that is covered in dust or mud, like garments worn for farm work, may require vigorous scrubbing.</p>
<p>Our research could not recreate all of the ways people launder by hand. We were also unable to explore the impact of every textile variable on fibre shedding, including colouration method, dye type, specific knit or weave structure, and mechanical or chemical finishing. </p>
<p>Among the variables we did examine, our results demonstrated that the structure of the textiles had a more pronounced effect on fibre shedding than the type of fibre itself. Fibre type had no significant influence on shedding. Notably, woven textiles shed fewer fibres compared to their knitted counterparts.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1620346289681481730"}"></div></p>
<p>It’s not just synthetic textiles that shed problematic fibres. Plant-based textiles like cotton and animal-based textiles such as wool shed fibres in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652623035497?via%3Dihub">similar quantities</a> to plastic fibres. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.991650/full">Some research</a> even suggests that cellulose-based fibres such as cotton may impose comparable, if not more severe, consequences on organisms that ingest them when compared to synthetic microfibres.</p>
<p>Despite often being marketed as “biodegradable”, cotton fibres <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/mercerization">undergo modifications</a> for use in the textile industry that alter the structure of the cellulose they are composed of. Most cottons also have <a href="https://oecotextiles.blog/2012/12/05/what-does-mercerized-cotton-mean/">chemical dyes</a> and finishes added during processing. </p>
<p>As a result, cotton textile fibres do not readily biodegrade in natural surroundings. And any degradation that does occur will probably release chemicals from their production into the environment. This holds true regardless of the laundering method used for the textiles.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/plastic-free-fashion-is-not-as-clean-or-green-as-it-seems-139082">'Plastic-free' fashion is not as clean or green as it seems</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Solving the microfibre problem</h2>
<p>Solving the issue of textile fibre shedding is complex. There is a massive global trade in used clothing, worth about <a href="https://oec.world/en/profile/hs/used-clothing">US$5 billion (£4.1 billion) per year</a>. Even when care labels and fashion designers have considered electric machine washing, potential washing machine filters and wastewater treatment, the export of used clothing takes these textiles away from that established infrastructure.</p>
<p>But the people we observed hand washing clothing need the affordable and durable work attire that this used clothing trade provides. This means that, to address textile fibre shedding, we require a complete rethink not only of the ways we launder our clothes, but of how clothing is made.</p>
<p>The fundamental problem lies not in the secondhand clothing trade, but in the design of textiles themselves. We could make headway in tackling the microfibre issue by designing low-shed fabrics to make garments that can better withstand the rigours of hand washing. Another approach is the development of <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-environments-new-clothes-biodegradable-textiles-grown-from-live-organisms/">new truly biodegradable fibres</a> that will break down naturally in the environment.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A secondhand clothing store." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555259/original/file-20231023-19-alhu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555259/original/file-20231023-19-alhu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555259/original/file-20231023-19-alhu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555259/original/file-20231023-19-alhu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555259/original/file-20231023-19-alhu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555259/original/file-20231023-19-alhu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555259/original/file-20231023-19-alhu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A secondhand clothing store in the Philippines.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dumaguete-philippines-9-september-2017-cheap-713736202">Davdeka/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the meantime, those who pride themselves on avoiding synthetic fabrics should recognise that the microfibre problem <a href="https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wat2.1490">extends beyond the materials we wear</a>. Textile marketing should not greenwash by conflating “natural” and “biodegradable”. And relying on washing machine filters alone will not solve the problem of microfibre shedding. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 20,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=158&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=158&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=158&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=198&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=198&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=198&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Created in 2007 to help accelerate and share scientific knowledge on key societal issues, the AXA Research Fund has supported nearly 700 projects around the world conducted by researchers in 38 countries. To learn more, visit the site of the AXA Research Fund or follow on Twitter @AXAResearchFund.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215506/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deirdre McKay receives funding from the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust, and UKRI via the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Global Challenges Research Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelly Sheridan receives funding from UKRI (NERC / AHRC / Innovate UK) via their Circular Fashion and Textiles Network Plus funding. In addition to Northumbria University she also works for The Microfibre Consortium.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Stanton receives funding from the AXA Research Fund and UKRI (NERC / AHRC / Innovate UK) via their Circular Fashion and Textiles Network Plus funding. </span></em></p>Simply trying to avoid synthetic clothing won’t fix our microfibre pollution problemDeirdre McKay, Professor of Sustainable Development, Keele UniversityKelly Sheridan, Associate Professor in Forensic Science, Northumbria University, NewcastleThomas Stanton, Axa Research Fund Fellow, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2153802023-10-16T19:25:48Z2023-10-16T19:25:48ZFive tips for a sustainable Halloween<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553708/original/file-20231013-16-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8192%2C5457&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More than 8 million pumpkins are thrown away over Halloween each year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-family-mother-kids-carving-pumpkin-2045199506">Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Halloween is the spookiest time of the year. However, as you prepare to send shivers down the spines of your friends and family, you may not have given much thought to the environmental footprint that this holiday conceals. </p>
<p>In the UK alone, more than <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/23/pumpkin-waste-uk-halloween-lanterns">8 million pumpkins</a> are thrown away each year over Halloween. This amounts to about 18,000 tonnes of pumpkins going to waste that would have been eaten.</p>
<p>But that’s not the extent of it. Halloween has evolved into a commercial money-spinner, with store shelves brimming with plastic costumes, electronic and disposable decorations, and bags of plastic-wrapped sweets – most of which will eventually find their way into landfills after the festivities end.</p>
<p>If you’re looking to partake in the spooky festivities of Halloween, here are five tips to ensure you can give people a good fright without harming the environment. </p>
<h2>1. What to do with your pumpkin</h2>
<p>Pumpkin carving isn’t just a problem because of food waste, a huge amount of resources – including fuel for lorries and fertilisers – go into producing the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/halloween-pumpkins-food-waste-energy/">mountain of pumpkins</a> that are used over Halloween. </p>
<p>If you do plan on carving a pumpkin this year, make sure you throw it into a food waste bin. Pumpkins that end up in landfill <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/pumpkin-pollution-is-a-problem-what-you-can-do">emit methane as they decompose</a>. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-case-for-compost-why-recycling-food-waste-is-so-much-better-than-sending-it-to-landfill-205583">The case for compost: why recycling food waste is so much better than sending it to landfill</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A better approach may be to forgo the whole pumpkin thing altogether. Instead, consider investing in a reusable decoration (preferably one that’s not made from plastic) or crafting your own creepy creation out of something you already have in your home to put outside your door.</p>
<p>But if you still want to experience the fun of carving a pumpkin, then make sure it isn’t wasted by baking some pumpkin pie, roasting its seeds in the oven, or simply roasting segments of pumpkin as a savoury treat (even the skin is edible).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pile of abandoned rotting pumpkins." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553712/original/file-20231013-25-zneunv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553712/original/file-20231013-25-zneunv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553712/original/file-20231013-25-zneunv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553712/original/file-20231013-25-zneunv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553712/original/file-20231013-25-zneunv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553712/original/file-20231013-25-zneunv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553712/original/file-20231013-25-zneunv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pumpkins emit methane as they decompose.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pile-abandoned-rotting-pumpkins-left-rot-1238771032">Amanda Wayne/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Cut down on buying new</h2>
<p>The shops are filled to bursting with Halloween decorations. However, many of these decorations – from cackling witches to vampire bat lights – are electrical. Making these products uses up substantial resources, including endless amounts of copper wiring and some of the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352492823016124">rarest materials on the planet</a>, such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/lanthanum">lanthanum</a>, an element found in modern television sets, energy saving lamps and optical lenses.</p>
<p>When these decorations are thrown away, they contribute to the growing <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X20305870">electrical waste crisis</a>. In 2019, global electrical and electronic waste generation stood at around <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X20305870">54 million tonnes</a>, amounting to around 7.5kg per person. This generation rate is expected to increase significantly in the future.</p>
<p>So consider if you really need to buy new. You may find you already have enough lying around to transform your home into a haunted house. Christmas lights, for example, could double up as a creepy addition to your Halloween decor. </p>
<p>You may also have some other old bits and pieces that you can remake into something suitably spooky. Old dolls can be given unsettling new attire crafted from fabric scraps (although they might be creepy enough by themselves). And bottles can be filled with water and a few drops of food dye to make a collection of witches’ brews.</p>
<h2>3. Ditch single-use plastic</h2>
<p>We all like being able to hand out some sweet treats to trick-or-treaters. But sweets are often individually wrapped in plastic. Many single-use plastics don’t get recycled and, because plastic <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101">doesn’t break down naturally</a>, it can stay in the environment for hundreds of years. </p>
<p>Instead of plastic-wrapped treats, think about getting something in paper packaging. If you have the time, then maybe you could make some sweat treats yourself to hand out. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of kids trick or treating." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553709/original/file-20231013-17-zgsdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553709/original/file-20231013-17-zgsdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553709/original/file-20231013-17-zgsdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553709/original/file-20231013-17-zgsdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553709/original/file-20231013-17-zgsdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553709/original/file-20231013-17-zgsdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553709/original/file-20231013-17-zgsdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sweets are often individually wrapped in plastic that is subsequently thrown away.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/halloween-group-kids-want-candy-210749701">Sean Locke Photography/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>4. Make your own costume</h2>
<p>Most of the Halloween costumes you can buy are made out of plastic. In fact, an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/18/scariest-thing-about-halloween-is-plastic-waste-say-charities">investigation by Hubbub</a>, an environmental charity, found that about 83% of the materials used to make the seasonal outfits available at 19 supermarkets and retailers in the UK were plastic.</p>
<p>These outfits not only contribute to the accumulation of plastic in landfills, they are also a <a href="https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/microfibres-plastic-in-our-clothes">source of harmful microplastics</a>. These minuscule plastic particles have been found almost everywhere, including in water sources, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81499-8">marine life</a>, human bodies, and now even in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/09/microplastics-clouds-study-mount-fuji-mount-oyama">clouds</a>.</p>
<p>Even if you don’t throw away your costume, <a href="https://digital.detritusjournal.com/articles/a-review-of-the-origins-of-microplastics-arriving-at-wastewater-treatment-plants/1496">tiny plastic fibres</a> are released from the fabric every time you wash it. These fibres ultimately find their way into the environment through the wastewater system.</p>
<p>So ditch the plastic wig and look at what you already own. Old clothes can be torn up to give the look of a horrifying zombie. And, although it may be an old standby, everyone has an old sheet somewhere that can be used as a ghost costume.</p>
<h2>5. Less is more</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/sustainability">Sustainability</a> is all about leaving the world in a way that future generations can enjoy as good a quality of life as we do. A crucial element in making this future a reality is only using what we need instead of an excess. </p>
<p>So, when making choices about how to have a happy Halloween, think before you consume. Do you need to buy a load of prepackaged food? Or can you make your own pumpkin pie? Do you need to get in a car to go trick or treating? Or can you do it locally on foot?</p>
<p>By following these tips, you can have a fun, freaky – but also sustainable – Halloween.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215380/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alice Brock receives funding from The South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership.</span></em></p>Halloween is a sustainability nightmare – but it doesn’t have to be.Alice Brock, PhD Candidate in Environmental Science, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2137312023-10-03T16:34:50Z2023-10-03T16:34:50ZMicroplastics in the mud: Finnish lake sediments help us get to the bottom of plastic pollution<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551737/original/file-20231003-25-ks87tq.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5472%2C3596&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Researchers on the frozen surface of Lake Kallavesi prepare to take a sample of the sediment down below. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> Timo Saarinen</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The sun is shining, and air feels surprisingly warm when we walk on a 35cm ice that covers a frozen lake in central Finland. The heavy sledges move nicely, because there is not much snow on the ice today. The journey isn’t far either, as we’re by the city of Kuopio, which is surrounded by Finland’s 10th largest lake. Despite the temperature of -10˚, I need to take off my hat – the sun in early March is already warm, or it could be the fact that the heavy sledge is following me obediently.</p>
<p>We’re crossing the icy bay not for sport or holiday activities, nor is it part of a plan to hike to north Pole. Instead, our focus is in research. We are determinedly walking to the middle of the bay to collect a sediment core from its bottom. Mud – or sediments, as geologists call them – are deposited slowly at the bottom of lakes. How quickly mud accumulates varies greatly depending on the body of water, but at this bay in Lake Kallavesi, about 1 centimetre of sediment is deposited annually. Logically, the new sediment is deposited on top of earlier layers, and so sediments are like time machines – the deeper you dig into the older sediments, the further you reach into the past. You can think of sediments like libraries of a lake’s untold stories, and if you can read the words of the sediment core, they can tell amazing stories.</p>
<p>Lake Kallavesi has a specific and rare type of sediments called annually laminated or <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-1-4020-4411-3_226">varved sediments</a>. They’re composed of a bright and dark couplets one after the other, just like tree rings, that can be counted backwards. It is possible to check how your birth year looked – or your grandmother’s birth year. Such sediment layers can reach back thousands of years.</p>
<h2>The history of plastic, buried in the mud</h2>
<p>Our historical destination this time is much more recent – we want to investigate the presence of plastic particles within the natural sediment. It’s a continuation of our ongoing research, most recently published in the <em>Journal of Soils and Sediments</em> in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11368-023-03465-3">February 2023</a>. </p>
<p>Widespread use of plastic started about 70 years ago, and since then, 9 billion metric tonnes has been produced. <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782">Only 12% is incinerated</a>, meaning that 7.5 billion metric tonnes are still with us somewhere – recycled and in use; in landfills or dump pits, or in nature, including our waters. The weight of all that plastic is more than that of all the people on the planet – there’s about 1,000 kg of plastic for each of us, mostly in form of waste. What would you do with your share? What would I do?</p>
<p>These are my thoughts when I am drilling a hole in the ice. It would be nice to work on lake on a sunny summer day, but the thick ice serves as a stable platform. It allows us to spread all our corers, saws, sledges, tubes, wires, and hot water pots around us. We use metal rods to push the core tubes down 11 metres to the lake floor and then into the sediment. A few minutes later, we lift the core tube out on the water. It was known that the bay is polluted, but we’re surprised by the strong smell of oil when the core emerges.</p>
<p>Because plastic is very durable material, it works well as a core tube. This benefit is also plastic’s worst aspect: released into the environment, it doesn’t decompose but breaks into ever smaller pieces. <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html">Particles smaller than 5 mm are called microplastics</a>, and they have only been studied since 2004, after Richard Thompson <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1094559">accidently noted their presence</a> in coastal sediments near Plymouth, England. While it’s a relatively new research field, we already know that microplastics are harmful pollutants that endanger animal life – including our own – and that they are found everywhere from the top of the Himalayas to the deepest oceans.</p>
<p>Like natural particles, microplastics are transported to the lakes by rivers, rainfall, and wind. They can float in the surface but finally sink to the bottom. There they will be slowly buried under new layers of sediments. But how much microplastics has increased in the nature since the last 70 years? Let’s go to see what the sediment library can tell us.</p>
<h2>The ABCs of reading sediment layers</h2>
<p>The 2-meter sediment core lies on the metallic table at our laboratory. As we saw open the core, my skin gets goosebumps. It might be the noise or maybe it is just excitement – after all, you never know beforehand what the sediment will look like.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551740/original/file-20231003-15-ga6eip.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551740/original/file-20231003-15-ga6eip.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551740/original/file-20231003-15-ga6eip.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551740/original/file-20231003-15-ga6eip.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=768&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551740/original/file-20231003-15-ga6eip.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551740/original/file-20231003-15-ga6eip.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551740/original/file-20231003-15-ga6eip.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The core of the lake sediment reveals brighter and darker bands that allow us to look back into time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sediments consist of natural materials as well as pollutants. Detrital materials such as clay, silt and sand are washed into the lake by spring floods that follow the melting of snow – this is the bright layer in Lake Kallavesi sediment. The thicker the bright layer is, the more intensive the spring flood and higher the snow was during the winter.</p>
<p>There is also a lot of organic matter in the sediments – not only plants transported by the rivers and pollen flown in from long distances, but also algae. On sunny summer days, they bloom on the lake’s surface and so serve as a buffet for the zooplankton that graze on the surface. When these microscopic organisms die, they too sink to bottom and become part of the mud.</p>
<p>Sediments also bear witness to human activities. Building a bridge or a road involves digging and can increase erosion, and our sediment shows bright layers that can be several centimetres thick. A significant number of pollutants are buried within the sediments – we found trace metals such as mercury, copper, lead and zinc as well as <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=423&toxid=75">petroleum hydrocarbon fractions</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/PAHs_FactSheet.html">PAH compounds</a> that are ecologically risky and potentially dangerous to health. Many are related to burning of fossil fuels. In addition to this chemical cocktail, the sediments were flavoured by a large amounts of microplastics.</p>
<p>Occasionally I get the feeling that I never went too far from my childhood. Playing with water and mud was the greatest thing I could imagine for the summer holidays, and nowadays I keep on doing very similar activities – collect mud, treat it in different ways, put it in all kinds of cups and machines. I often come home with my clothes splashed with mud. Today, however, I’m planning my playing in more detail, having spent weeks in the laboratory preparing these sediments for analysis.</p>
<h2>Two steps forward, one steps back</h2>
<p>The preliminary results show that the amount of heavy metals and oil fractions have decreased significantly from the peak in the 1970s toward the present day. This is good news, because it tells us that we’ve come to understand the harmfulness of these chemicals and our actions to preserve nature have paid off. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for microplastics – their presence in the sediments is increasing over time. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Close-up view of microplastic particles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551742/original/file-20231003-21-d0cx0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A magnified view of lake sediments reveals an immense number of microplastic particles. Many are from single-use plastics that find their way into the environment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The materials most frequently found are polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene, often employed for so-called single-use products such as packaging. In the annual layers we can immediately find the years 2011-2013, when there was significant construction work and dredging in the harbour. During this period, a huge number of microplastics are present with a large diversity of types.</p>
<p>With such detailed information, we start to understand how human activities on the land have a direct influence on the microplastics in the water. In the future, we want to understand how all kinds of pollutants that are already in the nature can be attached to microplastic particles, and what when such particles are eaten by plankton and animals that graze on the bottom of lakes. There is still much we do not understand from microplastics and the risks they pose, but our knowledge increases with every sediment core. It is not piece of cake, but a mud cake.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=158&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=158&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=158&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=198&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=198&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/310261/original/file-20200115-134768-1tax26b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=198&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Created in 2007 to help accelerate and share scientific knowledge on key societal issues, the Axa Research Fund has supported nearly 700 projects around the world conducted by researchers in 38 countries. To learn more, visit the site of the Axa Research Fund or follow on Twitter @AXAResearchFund.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213731/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saija Saarni a reçu des financements de AXA Research Fund. </span></em></p>Since the 1950s, billions of tons of plastic have been produced and much of it ends up in the environment – even at the bottom of lakes in Finland.Saija Saarni, Senior research in geology, University of TurkuLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2114662023-08-23T13:41:10Z2023-08-23T13:41:10ZMicroplastics discovered in the body tissues of whales, dolphins and seals – sparking concerns for human health too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544261/original/file-20230823-15-p5b8on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=95%2C138%2C3387%2C2222&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A Risso's dolphin entangled in fishing line.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rissos-dolphin-grampus-griseus-entangles-fishing-565450999">Andrew Sutton/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Marine mammals – animals including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/whale">whales</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/dolphin-mammal">dolphins</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/seal-mammal">seals</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/sea-lion">sea lions</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/sea-otter">sea otters</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/dugong-mammal">dugongs</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/manatee">manatees</a> – are threatened by an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000632071731474X">array of human activities</a>. Species such as the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/north-atlantic-right-whale">North Atlantic right whale</a>, <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale">Rice’s whale</a> and <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/vaquita">Vaquita porpoise</a> have been pushed to the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">brink of extinction</a>.</p>
<p>Plastic debris poses a particularly significant problem. Marine mammals mistakenly eat items such as plastic bags, food wrappers, ropes and abandoned fishing gear, or they become <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jmb/2012/684279/">entangled in plastic items</a> including fishing nets. Both scenarios can lead to injury and, in many cases, death.</p>
<p>Autopsies carried out on 34 dolphins and whales stranded along the Greek coastline in 2019 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X19304230?via%3Dihub">found that</a> nine of them (from four different species) had ingested plastic – and plastic consumption was identified as the cause of death in three of these animals.</p>
<p>And now, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974912301254X#bib37">recent US study</a> has revealed that marine mammals face a more subtle plastic threat: microplastics. </p>
<p>In the ocean, microplastics (tiny plastic particles measuring less than 5mm) commonly accumulate in an animal’s gills or digestive tract. However, the recent study found microplastics in various other tissues of a number of different whale, dolphin and seal species. </p>
<p>This suggests that microplastic particles are somehow able to move from one part of an animal’s body to another (or “translocate”). This finding may carry health implications not only for marine mammals, but humans too.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pod of sperm whales in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543786/original/file-20230821-27-7jhehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543786/original/file-20230821-27-7jhehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543786/original/file-20230821-27-7jhehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543786/original/file-20230821-27-7jhehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543786/original/file-20230821-27-7jhehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543786/original/file-20230821-27-7jhehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543786/original/file-20230821-27-7jhehr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A pod of sperm whales in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pod-sperm-whales-social-group-indian-1506432788">wildestanimal/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Contaminated tissues</h2>
<p>The researchers obtained tissue samples from 32 individual animals spanning 12 marine mammal species. These animals had either been stranded or harvested between 2000 and 2021. </p>
<p>Samples were taken from the animals’ blubber, melon (the fatty structure found in a whale’s forehead), acoustic fat pads (from the jaw), and lung tissue. These all serve vital functions such as enabling marine mammals to breathe, hear, locate prey and keep warm.</p>
<p>Analysis of the samples revealed that every single melon, acoustic fat pad and lung tissue sample contained microplastics, as did 64% of blubber samples. The particles in the tissue samples ranged from very small (24µm) to relatively large (1,387µm).</p>
<h2>Tiny particles, big impact</h2>
<p>Research has provided us with some understanding of how microplastics may affect small marine animals. At <a href="https://www.pml.ac.uk/">Plymouth Marine Laboratory</a>, we have shown that exposure to microplastic particles can affect <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122014580">feeding</a>, <a href="https://microplastics.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43591-023-00052-8">growth</a> and <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es504525u">reproduction</a> in animals that filter seawater or sediment for food.</p>
<p>Evidence of the impact of microplastics on larger animals is, by comparison, limited. This is because our understanding largely stems from observations of animals that are dead. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, studies have shown that microplastic fragments can cause the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389423003722#:%7E:text=Extensive%20scar%20tissue%20formation%20was,fibrosis%20in%20seabird%20stomach%20tissues.">formation of scar tissue</a> in the stomachs of seabirds. And there are also concerns that the chemicals present in marine plastic litter may <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/ay/c6ay02674e/unauth">leach into the tissues</a> of marine mammals upon ingestion. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/seabirds-that-swallow-ocean-plastic-waste-have-scarring-in-their-stomachs-scientists-have-named-this-disease-plasticosis-201506">Seabirds that swallow ocean plastic waste have scarring in their stomachs – scientists have named this disease 'plasticosis'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It’s therefore possible that the movement of microplastics from seawater and prey items into the tissues of marine mammals may affect their health. In the most severe scenario, the accumulation of these particles could lead to a loss of these tissues’ critical functions. However, further understanding of the implications of microplastic presence in body tissues is needed.</p>
<h2>A concern for human health?</h2>
<p>The fact that microplastics can accumulate in body tissues could also mean that more plastic particles are transferred further up the food chain to top predators like humans than is currently thought.</p>
<p>It’s generally believed that <a href="https://microplastics.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43591-022-00033-3">only very small</a> microplastics (particles less than 100µm) can move from the gut or respiratory system into the bloodstream. This would limit the amount of microplastics that are consumed when eating marine vertebrates. </p>
<p>But the US study has found the presence of larger microplastic particles in non-digestive tissues, suggesting this assumption might not hold true. Separate studies in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653518307240#bib27">Persian Gulf</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00244-021-00885-5">Black Sea</a> have also revealed a variety of microplastic sizes present in non-digestive tissues of commercial fish. </p>
<p>Together, these findings could have implications for human health. Marine mammal meat and blubber are an important food source within certain Indigenous communities. And many people consume fish as part of their diets.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pilot whales being processed after a hunt." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543789/original/file-20230821-29-k6they.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543789/original/file-20230821-29-k6they.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543789/original/file-20230821-29-k6they.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543789/original/file-20230821-29-k6they.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543789/original/file-20230821-29-k6they.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543789/original/file-20230821-29-k6they.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543789/original/file-20230821-29-k6they.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Marine mammal meat and blubber are important food sources for some Indigenous communities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pilot-whales-being-processed-after-hunt-1724671597">S.Thors/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The risk of ingesting microplastics from a seafood meal is, at present, <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517">lower than that</a> from drinking bottled water. But the prevalence of microplastics in the marine environment is rapidly increasing, and it is now evident that these particles can enter the bloodstream of animals and humans too. Research has found microplastic particles in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022001258">human blood samples</a> and in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020322297">human placenta</a>.</p>
<p>Laboratory studies have managed to highlight the generally negative impacts of microplastic exposure on small fish and invertebrates. However, we still lack a full understanding of the consequences of microplastic ingestion for larger mammals such as whales, dolphins, and humans. </p>
<p>What we are certain of is the escalating abundance of microplastics in the marine environment – our oceans are now filled with <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0281596">over 170 trillion plastic particles</a>. Efforts to stop the flow of plastic into the marine environment are urgently required.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 20,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211466/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Garrard receives funding from NERC.</span></em></p>New research shows that relatively large microplastic particles can make their way into the body tissues of marine mammals.Samantha Garrard, Senior Marine Ecosystem Services Researcher, Plymouth Marine LaboratoryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2083462023-08-13T13:38:52Z2023-08-13T13:38:52ZHow microplastics are making their way into our farmland<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541267/original/file-20230804-26-9nrw34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C117%2C1931%2C1391&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In Canada and around the world, biosolids are widely used to improve agricultural farmland soil. Biosolids being sprayed on an agricultural field.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Branaavan Sivarajah)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-microplastics-are-making-their-way-into-our-farmland" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Microplastic pollution is a global environmental problem that is ubiquitous in all environments, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162193">air</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.305">water</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138334">soils</a>. </p>
<p>Microplastics are readily found in treated wastewater sludge — also known as municipal biosolids — that eventually make their way to our agricultural soils. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20497">Our recent investigation</a> of microplastic levels in Canadian municipal biosolids found that a single gram of biosolids contains hundreds of microplastic particles. This is a much greater concentration of microplastics than is typically found in air, water or soil.</p>
<p>Given that hundreds of thousands of tonnes of biosolids are produced every year in Canada, we need to pay close attention to the potential impacts such high levels of microplastics might have on the environment and find ways to reduce microplastic levels in Canada’s wastewater stream.</p>
<h2>Municipal biosolids</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/sewage-biosolids-managing-urban-nutrients-responsibly-crop-production">Municipal biosolids</a> are produced at wastewater treatment plants by settling and stabilizing the solid fraction of the municipal wastewater inflow. </p>
<p>In Canada and around the world, municipal biosolids are used to improve agricultural farmland soil. This is because they are rich in nutrients needed for plant growth, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A close-up photo of a dark substance lying on top of dry dirt" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540502/original/file-20230801-17494-6okmwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540502/original/file-20230801-17494-6okmwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540502/original/file-20230801-17494-6okmwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540502/original/file-20230801-17494-6okmwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540502/original/file-20230801-17494-6okmwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540502/original/file-20230801-17494-6okmwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540502/original/file-20230801-17494-6okmwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Biosolids applied to an agricultural field.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Branaavan Sivarajah)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Municipal biosolid applications are carefully <a href="https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/443732/publication.html">regulated in Canada</a> for heavy metals, nutrients and pathogens. However, guidelines for emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, are not currently available.</p>
<p>While current wastewater treatment plants are not explicitly designed to remove microplastics, they are nevertheless efficient at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EW00397B">removing nearly 90 per cent of microplastic contaminants</a>. The removed microplastics are often concentrated in the settled sludge and eventually end up in the biosolids.</p>
<h2>Microplastics in municipal biosolids</h2>
<p>Previous studies have shown that municipal biosolid waste is an important pathway for microplastics to enter the broader <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b04140">terrestrial ecosystems</a>, including agricultural fields. </p>
<p>In collaboration with scientists from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, we conducted the first pan-Canadian assessment of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20497">microplastics in municipal biosolids</a>. We analyzed biosolid samples from 22 Canadian wastewater treatment plants across nine provinces and two biosolid-based fertilizer products. </p>
<p>We found hundreds of microplastic particles in every gram of biosolids. The most common type of microplastic particles we observed were microfibres, followed by small fragments. We found small amounts of glitter and foam pieces too. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Photos of microplastics seen through a miscroscope" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540499/original/file-20230801-19-x2ud2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540499/original/file-20230801-19-x2ud2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=517&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540499/original/file-20230801-19-x2ud2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=517&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540499/original/file-20230801-19-x2ud2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=517&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540499/original/file-20230801-19-x2ud2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=650&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540499/original/file-20230801-19-x2ud2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=650&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540499/original/file-20230801-19-x2ud2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=650&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Microplastics in municipal biosolids. A-C: Processed biosolid samples; D-F: Assortment of microplastic particles in biosolids.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Jesse Vermaire)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Microplastic concentrations in municipal biosolids are substantially higher than other environmental networks in Canada like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2016-0070">water</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138334">soil</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2021-0121">river sediments</a>. This provides further evidence that microplastics are concentrated in biosolids produced at wastewater treatment plants. </p>
<h2>Reducing microplastics</h2>
<p>Wastewater treatment plants are well-equipped to remove large plastics like bottle caps and plastic bags from municipal wastewater. However, microplastic particles are so small they can’t be caught by current treatment infrastructure, so they end up concentrating in wastewater sludge. </p>
<p>As wastewater streams concentrate microplastics, they also offer an opportunity to reduce the plastic pollution that is entering the environment. While researchers across Canada are working to find insights on the short- and long-term ecological consequences of microplastic pollution on soil ecosystems, one solution is already clear. </p>
<p>Microplastics can be reduced at sources via systematic reductions in the use of single-use plastics, washing clothing with synthetic fibre less frequently and removing microfibres using <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.777865">washing machine filters</a>. These approaches will help minimize the amount of microplastics that get into the wastewater stream and, ultimately, into the broader terrestrial and aquatic environments.</p>
<p>Building new technologies at our wastewater treatment plants to remove microplastics through physical or chemical means should also be explored. </p>
<p>We need to better understand the impact of high concentrations of microplastic on agro-ecosystems where biosolids are applied, including its impacts on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202200136">soil-dwelling organisms like earthworms and insects</a>. We also need to start building national guidelines for microplastic levels in biosolids and agricultural soils.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208346/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Branaavan Sivarajah receives funding from Carleton University, Mount Allison University, and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The research was funded through Environment and Climate Change Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jesse Vermaire receives funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Northern Contaminants Program, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mitacs, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. He is affiliated with Carleton University and a volunteer Board Member with Deep Blue Cleanup. </span></em></p>We need to pay close attention to the potential impacts that high levels of microplastics might have on environments and find ways to reduce microplastic levels in Canada’s wastewater stream.Branaavan Sivarajah, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton UniversityJesse Vermaire, Associate Professor, Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2094872023-07-12T20:04:25Z2023-07-12T20:04:25Z‘Humanity’s signature’: study finds plastic pollution in the world’s lakes can be worse than in oceans<p>A world-first study has found concentrations of plastics in some lakes are higher than in the most contaminated parts of oceans, demonstrating the extent to which plastics have invaded Earth’s ecosystems.</p>
<p>In a study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06168-4">released today</a>, researchers sampled 38 lakes and reservoirs around the world, including in Australia, the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. Plastics and microplastics were found at every site, including very remote locations.</p>
<p>Lakes are sentinels for human activity. Many lakes are already suffering from issues such as algal blooms, deoxygenation, over-extraction and drying. Plastic contamination adds yet another threat to these highly stressed ecosystems.</p>
<h2>The plastics problem</h2>
<p>After plastics enter the environment, they generally break up and become smaller and smaller. Eventually they become microplastics – defined as particles less than 5 mm in size. </p>
<p>Plastic takes decades to disappear. It can <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html">harm</a> ocean and aquatic life and contaminate water used by humans. </p>
<p>Plastics can be washed into lakes from the adjacent land areas. Lake water can sit for a long time without being flushed out, allowing plastics to accumulate.
We don’t yet know much about whether microplastics are absorbed by filter feeding organisms such as clams, mussels and zooplankton, and how plastics affect the food chain.</p>
<p>Plastic debris is widespread in freshwater ecosystems. But much of the focus has been on marine ecosystems, and knowledge of the scope of the problem in lakes and reservoirs has been hampered by a lack of appropriate data. Our research set out to close this gap.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/plastic-pollution-threatens-birds-far-out-at-sea-new-research-209081">Plastic pollution threatens birds far out at sea – new research</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What we did</h2>
<p>A global team of scientists, of which we were part, examined the abundance and type of plastic debris in freshwater ecosystems. Surface waters were sampled in 38 lakes and reservoirs across 23 countries (mostly in the Northern Hemisphere) and six continents.</p>
<p>Importantly, we used a standardised collection and analysis method, including very fine plankton nets to sample the plastic debris. These steps allowed for comparisons between lakes. </p>
<p>Broadly, we found plastic debris in all lakes studied. Most plastics were in the microplastic size range. However, concentrations varied widely. </p>
<p>Some 21 lakes had low concentrations – below one particle per cubic metre (m³). Of the remainder, 14 lakes had concentrations between one and five particles per m³ and three lakes had concentrations higher than five particles per m³.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Lake,_Queensland">Forest Lake</a> in Brisbane was the Australian study site. It’s a popular urban lake used by many people for recreation. This lake had three plastics particles per cubic metre, ranking it sixth worst among the 38 lakes sampled. </p>
<p>The three most polluted lakes were, in order, Lake Lugano (Switzerland, Italy), Lake Maggiore (Italy) and Lake Tahoe (US). </p>
<p>In each of these lakes, plastic concentrations reached or exceeded those in “floating garbage patches” – marine areas collecting large amounts of debris, such as the <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-pacific-garbage-patch/">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a>. These ocean areas were previously thought to be the worst cases of plastic pollution in water environments. </p>
<p>These three polluted lakes – as well as the heavily contaminated Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland – are also important sources of drinking water for local communities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whales-and-dolphins-found-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-for-the-first-time-122538">Whales and dolphins found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for the first time</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="hands sorting plastic debris" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536750/original/file-20230711-17-y5zzsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536750/original/file-20230711-17-y5zzsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536750/original/file-20230711-17-y5zzsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536750/original/file-20230711-17-y5zzsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536750/original/file-20230711-17-y5zzsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536750/original/file-20230711-17-y5zzsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536750/original/file-20230711-17-y5zzsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A crew sorting plastic debris collected from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Ocean Cleanup</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Where is the plastic coming from?</h2>
<p>The second part of our study sought to identify the landscape factors affecting the abundance and type of plastic debris.</p>
<p>More than 90% of the plastic particles belonged to two shape categories: fibres and fragments. We even found textile fibres in lakes and reservoirs in remote areas with limited human presence, such as Avery Lake in the US state of Michigan.</p>
<p>Our analysis indicated two types of lake are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination: those in highly urbanised and populated areas, and those with a large surface area.</p>
<p>The most common colour of plastic particle was black (30%), followed by transparent (24%), blue (18%) and white (13%). The low concentrations of particles in bright colours, such as red, suggests these more visible plastics may have been mistaken by aquatic organisms for food, and ingested.</p>
<h2>So what next?</h2>
<p>Marine environments are generally considered the final resting place for plastic debris. But our research confirms plastic concentrations in freshwater ecosystems can be higher than those in oceans. </p>
<p>Our results indicate that lakes play a major role in the global plastic cycle. This points to an urgent need to develop management policies to reduce plastic pollution in freshwater lakes. This, in turn, will help prevent plastics from entering waterways and ending up in marine systems.</p>
<p>We don’t know how much plastic debris ends up in water supplies. We suggest this gap be addressed as soon as possible, and the ecological harm caused by microplastics should become a global management and research priority.</p>
<p>Our study also underscores the urgent need for coordinated, systematic monitoring of plastic pollution.</p>
<p>Sadly, it seems no lake can be considered truly “pristine” with respect to plastic pollution. Our research serves as yet another unfortunate reminder of humanity’s indelible signature on nature. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-no-idea-how-much-microplastic-is-in-australias-soil-but-it-could-be-a-lot-96858">We have no idea how much microplastic is in Australia's soil (but it could be a lot)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209487/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Hamilton receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deniz Özkundakci received funding from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. He also holds the Toihuarewa Waimāori - Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair in Lake and Freshwater Science
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mohammadhassan Ranjbar receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justin Brookes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers even found textile fibres in very remote lakes with limited human presence.David Hamilton, Director, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith UniversityDeniz Özkundakci, Associate Professor of Lake and Freshwater Science, University of WaikatoJustin Brookes, Director, Water Research Centre, University of AdelaideMohammad Hassan Ranjbar, Research Fellow, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2095092023-07-12T20:03:58Z2023-07-12T20:03:58ZPlastic pollution in some NZ lakes is comparable to northern hemisphere lakes in highly populated areas, global study finds<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536935/original/file-20230711-17-6liktf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C119%2C3969%2C2526&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Troy Wegman</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The level of microplastic pollution in New Zealand lakes is comparable with those in the US or Europe, despite much lower population densities, according to our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06168-4">global analysis</a> of plastic pollution in freshwater lakes and reservoirs.</p>
<p>Globally, our results show two types of lakes are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination: those in densely populated and urbanised areas and large lakes with long water retention times. </p>
<p>In some lakes, we found plastic fragments are accumulating at higher concentrations than in the so-called “garbage patches” in the ocean.</p>
<p>Of the three New Zealand lakes included in the study – <a href="https://lakes380.com/lakes/rotorua-rotorua/">Rotorua</a>, <a href="https://lakes380.com/lakes/taharoa/">Taharoa</a> and <a href="https://lakes380.com/lakes/lake-wiritoa/">Wiritoa</a> – microplastic pollution was highest in Lake Rotorua, equal to lakes in the northern hemisphere with much larger populations living along their shores.</p>
<p>Our study is the first to develop a standardised protocol for looking at microplastics in lakes and across a range of environmental conditions. This allows us to quantify the pollution, compare lakes and extrapolate results from these case studies to other systems. </p>
<p>Globally, lakes in or near built-up areas were significantly more polluted than those in less populated areas. But not a single lake in this study was unaffected by plastic pollution, no matter how far it was from human activity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two women take samples from a boat on a lake." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536933/original/file-20230711-19-d3828w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536933/original/file-20230711-19-d3828w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536933/original/file-20230711-19-d3828w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536933/original/file-20230711-19-d3828w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536933/original/file-20230711-19-d3828w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536933/original/file-20230711-19-d3828w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536933/original/file-20230711-19-d3828w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All lakes in this study showed microplastic pollution, but lakes in more populated areas generally had higher levels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Veronica Nava</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The findings for New Zealand lakes are disappointing for a country that prides itself on a green image. Discovering this much plastic in lakes is a reflection of our current state of environmental ethics and stewardship. </p>
<p>We need to become more aware of the effects of our use of products with short life cycles to lessen the environmental degradation that results from their disposal.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/humanitys-signature-study-finds-plastic-pollution-in-the-worlds-lakes-can-be-worse-than-in-oceans-209487">'Humanity's signature': study finds plastic pollution in the world's lakes can be worse than in oceans</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Lakes as sinks for pollution</h2>
<p>The global lake ecological observatory network (<a href="https://gleon.org/">GLEON</a>) collected samples for our analysis. The samples cover 38 lakes across 23 different countries and six continents. </p>
<p>While a lot of research has investigated microplastic pollution in the ocean, there are very few studies on microplastics in freshwater ecosystems. But most lakes are long-term sinks for contaminants and pollutants, including microplastics. </p>
<p>We specifically measured levels of small plastic particles, from microplastics to macroplastics, measuring 5-10mm in diameter.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Images of different shapes of plastic particles collected in water samples, showing fragments (a–c), fibre (d–f), filaments (g–i), film ( j,k) and pellets (l)." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536934/original/file-20230711-23-x0kr5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536934/original/file-20230711-23-x0kr5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536934/original/file-20230711-23-x0kr5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536934/original/file-20230711-23-x0kr5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536934/original/file-20230711-23-x0kr5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536934/original/file-20230711-23-x0kr5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536934/original/file-20230711-23-x0kr5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Images of different shapes of plastic particles collected in water samples, showing fragments (a–c), fibre (d–f), filaments (g–i), film (j,k) and pellets (l).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We found mostly fragments and fibres of plastics that are generally considered easy to recycle – not the hard-to-recycle plastics currently being <a href="https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/waste/plastic-phase-out/">phased out</a> in New Zealand.</p>
<p>This means we have to investigate more closely how these easily recyclable plastics remain in the environment and get into lakes. But the issue of plastic debris in lakes is severely understudied in New Zealand.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/my-art-uses-plastic-recovered-from-beaches-around-the-world-to-understand-how-our-consumer-society-is-transforming-the-ocean-187970">My art uses plastic recovered from beaches around the world to understand how our consumer society is transforming the ocean</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Ecological impacts</h2>
<p>We collected and filtered hundreds of thousands of litres of water to have representative samples for each lake.</p>
<p>Some of the smaller fragments, which were predominant in the samples, are small enough to be ingested by various organisms, mostly fish and filter feeders such as freshwater mussels. </p>
<p>I worry that we underestimate the effects of plastics on the food web. Although our samples represent a snapshot, we know New Zealand lakes are home to a diversity of native and introduced fish and mussels, some of which are harvested. </p>
<p>Plastic pollution in lakes could also impact sources of drinking water. We are concerned about growing evidence of <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/EW/D0EW00836B">chemical leaching</a> from plastics into water.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/restoring-the-great-lakes-after-50-years-of-us-canada-joint-efforts-some-success-and-lots-of-unfinished-business-181037">Restoring the Great Lakes: After 50 years of US-Canada joint efforts, some success and lots of unfinished business</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>One of the most important things we should take away from this work is that it serves as an early warning. To identify the extent of plastic pollution across New Zealand lakes, a nationwide baseline survey, using the same standardised methodology, would be a good starting point. </p>
<p>The next step would be to better understand the sources and identify any hotspots of microplastics to inform management to reduce the level of pollution.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209509/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deniz Ozkundakci receives funding from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and currently holds the Toihuarewa Waimāori - Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair in Lake and Freshwater Science.</span></em></p>Microplastic pollution in lakes could affect the food web, all the way to people fishing and harvesting mussels, as well as sources of drinking water.Deniz Özkundakci, Associate Professor of Lake and Freshwater Science, University of WaikatoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2090812023-07-07T10:04:56Z2023-07-07T10:04:56ZPlastic pollution threatens birds far out at sea – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535857/original/file-20230705-20979-fzq3sn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=559%2C0%2C3174%2C2485&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Northern fulmar</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Beth Clark</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Seabirds are one of the world’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.06.033">most threatened animal groups</a>. They already contend with multiple issues, including climate change, accidental capture in fishing gear and being eaten by invasive species like cats and some rodents.</p>
<p>But these birds, which breed on land and forage for food at sea, are now facing another threat: plastic pollution. It’s becoming increasingly common to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X19310148">find seabirds that have ingested plastic</a> as they forage for food.</p>
<p>A group of seabirds called petrels are particularly at risk. They roam vast areas of the ocean and cannot easily regurgitate the plastic they ingest. During the breeding season, they may even inadvertently feed this plastic to their chicks.</p>
<p>In our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38900-z">latest research</a>, we <a href="https://www.seabirdtracking.org/">tracked the movements</a> of over 7,000 petrels of 77 different species. We combined this data with existing maps of marine plastic pollution to calculate an “exposure risk score” for each species. These scores enabled us to create a detailed picture of when and where seabirds are most at risk of encountering plastic pollution at sea. </p>
<p>We found that many species spend a lot of time in areas of the ocean with high concentrations of plastic. Plastic exposure risk was highest in enclosed seas where plastic can become trapped, such as the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. These regions accounted for over half of the global plastic exposure risk for petrels, potentially affecting all four of the species studied that forage there.</p>
<p>But many other petrel species are at risk of encountering plastic in remote parts of the ocean, including the north-west and north-east Pacific, south Atlantic and south-west Indian Ocean. This is mainly due to large systems of circulating ocean currents, called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044040">mid-ocean gyres</a>, which transport plastic debris thousands of miles from its source – such as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/great-pacific-garbage-patch-46255">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a>. </p>
<p>In fact, one-quarter of petrels’ plastic exposure risk occurred in the high seas. These areas are not within any country’s jurisdiction, so international efforts are required to reduce the threat of plastic pollution to seabirds and other marine wildlife.</p>
<h2>Vulnerable birds</h2>
<p>Plastic exposure risk varied depending on the species and whether it was breeding or non-breeding season. Notably, there were also differences in plastic exposure risk among populations of the same species.</p>
<p>Some already threatened species scored highly, including the critically endangered <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/balearic-shearwater-puffinus-mauretanicus">Balearic shearwater</a>, which breeds in the Mediterranean. The <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/newells-shearwater-puffinus-newelli">Newell’s shearwater</a>, which is endemic to Hawaii, was also at high risk of plastic exposure. </p>
<p>Another vulnerable species, the <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/spectacled-petrel-procellaria-conspicillata">spectacled petrel</a>, also scored high for plastic exposure risk. This species nests solely on an uninhabited volcanic island in the south Atlantic Ocean called Inaccessible Island.</p>
<p>Even species with low exposure risk, such as the <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/northern-fulmar-fulmarus-glacialis">northern fulmar</a> and <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/snow-petrel-pagodroma-nivea">snow petrel</a>, have in the past <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-326X(88)90388-8">been found to eat plastic</a>. This goes to show that oceanic plastic pollution poses a problem for seabirds worldwide, even outside of high exposure areas.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A Balearic shearwater flying over the Mediterranean Sea." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536081/original/file-20230706-29-rq9k7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536081/original/file-20230706-29-rq9k7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536081/original/file-20230706-29-rq9k7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536081/original/file-20230706-29-rq9k7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536081/original/file-20230706-29-rq9k7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536081/original/file-20230706-29-rq9k7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536081/original/file-20230706-29-rq9k7l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Balearic shearwater flying over the Mediterranean Sea.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/balearic-shearwater-puffinus-mauretanicus-flying-over-2198407615">Arnau Soler/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Plastic pollution is an issue</h2>
<p>Seabirds often swallow plastic by accident, mistaking it for their food. They also ingest plastic that has already been eaten by their prey. </p>
<p>This can lead to injury, poisoning from toxic chemicals that leach from the plastic and starvation as plastic fills up their stomach. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749113006532">Research</a> from 2014 found that more than 60% of <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/flesh-footed-shearwater-ardenna-carneipes">flesh-footed shearwater</a> fledglings surpass international targets for plastic ingestion by seabirds. Worryingly, 16% of fledglings failed these targets after just one feeding.</p>
<p>Over time, plastic debris also breaks down into minuscule fragments called microplastics. Research has found that microplastic exposure <a href="https://theconversation.com/seabirds-that-swallow-ocean-plastic-waste-have-scarring-in-their-stomachs-scientists-have-named-this-disease-plasticosis-201506">can cause inflammation</a> in a bird’s digestive system – a phenomenon called “plasticosis”.</p>
<p>We didn’t focus on the impact of plastic exposure on the petrel species studied, but many of these species are already threatened with extinction. Exposure to plastics may further reduce these birds’ resilience to the other threats they face.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A dead northern gannet trapped in plastic fishing net." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536091/original/file-20230706-19-gs6bxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536091/original/file-20230706-19-gs6bxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536091/original/file-20230706-19-gs6bxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536091/original/file-20230706-19-gs6bxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536091/original/file-20230706-19-gs6bxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536091/original/file-20230706-19-gs6bxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536091/original/file-20230706-19-gs6bxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A dead northern gannet trapped in plastic fishing net.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dead-northern-gannet-trapped-plastic-fishing-1120411439">Andrew Balcombe/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Beyond national boundaries</h2>
<p>Our study marks the first time that tracking data for so many species has been combined with existing knowledge of oceanic plastic pollution. This represents a big leap forward in our understanding of the threat plastic pollution poses to the natural world.</p>
<p>A significant proportion of plastic pollution accumulates in the high seas, far beyond the waters of the country where a seabird breeds. Our findings highlight the need for international cooperation to tackle marine plastic pollution, both directly from boats and from plastic waste on land.</p>
<p>Research suggests that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00720-8">22% of ocean litter</a> is likely to originate from marine sources. Good waste management is therefore crucial to stop plastic waste from reaching the ocean. A key part of this will be improving compliance with the <a href="https://www.imo.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/ConferencesMeetings/pages/Marpol.aspx">existing ban</a> (which was adopted in 1973) on discarding any form of plastic from ships.</p>
<p>Protecting seabirds requires more than local solutions. We need <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1714450114">regional and global treaties</a> that address plastic pollution in both national waters and the <a href="https://www.birdlife.org/news/2023/03/10/landmark-new-treaty-paves-the-way-for-the-protection-of-the-high-seas/">high seas</a>. Only by implementing solutions on a large scale can we safeguard the animals that inhabit our oceans.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 20,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209081/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Pearmain is based at the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey, and receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council C-CLEAR DTP.
This study was led by a partnership between BirdLife International, the University of Cambridge, and the British Antarctic Survey.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bethany Clark received funding for this study from the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s Collaborative Fund for Conservation, sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. She is affiliated with BirdLife International. The study was led by a partnership between BirdLife International, the University of Cambridge, and the British Antarctic Survey, in collaboration with Fauna & Flora, the 5 Gyres Institute, and over 200 seabird researchers around the world. </span></em></p>Some of the world’s most threatened birds are exposed to plastic pollution – even far out to sea.Elizabeth Pearmain, PhD Candidate in Seabird Ecology, University of CambridgeBethany Clark, Seabird Science Officer, BirdLife InternationalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2070832023-06-06T12:29:31Z2023-06-06T12:29:31ZProtecting the ocean: 5 essential reads on invasive species, overfishing and other threats to sea life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530186/original/file-20230605-15-w5h9js.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C15%2C5283%2C3516&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Fish in a kelp forest off San Benito Island, Mexico.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/garibaldi-fish-in-kelp-forest-hypsypops-rubicundus-san-news-photo/551022897">Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans rely on the ocean for many things, including food, jobs, recreation and <a href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/climate.html">stabilization of Earth’s climate</a>. But although ocean resources may seem infinite, human impacts like pollution, overfishing and climate change are creating what United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called an “<a href="https://press.un.org/en/2022/sea2143.doc.htm">ocean emergency</a>.” Climate change is pushing ocean temperatures to <a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-05-sea-surface-surge.html">record levels</a>, many <a href="https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc0461en">fisheries are overharvested</a>, and plastic waste is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/03/science/ocean-plastic-animals.html">accumulating in the deep sea</a>.</p>
<p>These five articles from The Conversation’s archive spotlight urgent challenges for ocean conservation, and describe what researchers are doing to devise effective responses.</p>
<h2>1. A devastating invasion is expanding</h2>
<p>Invasive lionfish are aggressive predators, native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean, that feed on smaller reef fish. They have caused heavy damage in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico since they first appeared in the Atlantic in 1985. Now, they’ve spread south to Brazil, which has many rare endemic fish species and is behind the curve in responding. </p>
<p>“As one of many Brazilian scientists who warned repeatedly about a potential lionfish invasion over the past decade, I’m disheartened that my country missed the window to take early action,” wrote Charles Darwin University marine scientist <a href="https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=_ArEYYMAAAAJ&hl=en">Osmar J. Luiz</a>. “Now, however, marine researchers and local communities are stepping up.”</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A red-and-white striped fish with long spines in closeup." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530188/original/file-20230605-19-vvnm8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lionfish have venomous spines that protect them against predators.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/u8LkfH">Florida Fish and Wildlife</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One important control strategy was to create an interactive dashboard where anyone can report lionfish sightings. Other steps are likely to include environmental education, organized culls and genetic research to identify distinct lionfish populations and see where they’re moving. With a similar lionfish invasion underway in the Mediterranean, there’s urgent need for effective responses.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/invasive-lionfish-have-spread-south-from-the-caribbean-to-brazil-threatening-ecosystems-and-livelihoods-199229">Invasive lionfish have spread south from the Caribbean to Brazil, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Mining the seabed poses ecological risks</h2>
<p>One of the ocean’s potentially most valuable resources hasn’t been tapped yet – but that could be about to change. </p>
<p>Scattered across large zones of the ocean floor, manganese nodules – lumps that look like cobblestones – contain rich deposits of <a href="https://theconversation.com/deep-seabed-mining-plans-pit-renewable-energy-demand-against-ocean-life-in-a-largely-unexplored-frontier-193273">nickel, copper, cobalt and other metals</a> that are newly in demand for manufacturing batteries and renewable energy components. </p>
<p>“A fierce debate is now playing out as a Canadian company makes plans to launch the first commercial deep sea mining operation in the Pacific Ocean,” Indiana University scholars <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YtgRGx0AAAAJ&hl=en">Scott Shackelford</a>, <a href="https://law.indiana.libguides.com/ochoa">Christiana Ochoa</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2bs3bogAAAAJ&hl=en">David Bosco</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kerry-Krutilla">Kerry Krutilla</a> warned.</p>
<p>Less than 10% of the deep seabed has been mapped thoroughly, and most life forms discovered there have never been seen before. Collecting materials from the ocean floor could harm these species – for example, by burying them in sediments. “We believe it would be wise to better understand this existing, fragile ecosystem better before rushing to mine it,” the authors concluded.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/deep-seabed-mining-plans-pit-renewable-energy-demand-against-ocean-life-in-a-largely-unexplored-frontier-193273">Deep seabed mining plans pit renewable energy demand against ocean life in a largely unexplored frontier</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1545116502667546630"}"></div></p>
<h2>3. Illegal fishing is common and hard to detect</h2>
<p>Illegal fishing – taking too many fish, or harvesting threatened species – causes economic losses estimated at US$10 billion to $25 billion annually. It also has been linked to human rights violations, such as forced labor and human trafficking. But it’s easy to conduct these activities out of sight on the high seas.</p>
<p>By looking at when and where fishing boats turned off their location transponders at sea, academic and nongovernment researchers showed that these silences can be an important signal. </p>
<p>“Vessels frequently went dark on the high-seas edge of exclusive economic zone boundaries, which can <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-fishing-boats-go-dark-at-sea-theyre-often-committing-crimes-we-mapped-where-it-happens-196694">obscure illegal fishing in unauthorized locations</a>,” wrote <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L0Ue4hIAAAAJ&hl=en">Heather Welch</a>, a researcher in ecosystem dynamics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. </p>
<p>Ships may also disable their transponders to avoid pirates or avoid drawing competitors to rich fishing sites, so making it illegal to turn their signals off isn’t a practical strategy. But more analysis of where boats go dark could help governments target inspections and patrols, reducing crimes at sea.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-fishing-boats-go-dark-at-sea-theyre-often-committing-crimes-we-mapped-where-it-happens-196694">When fishing boats go dark at sea, they're often committing crimes – we mapped where it happens</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Dozens of dead red snapper arranged in rows on a pier." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530190/original/file-20230605-15-2du56b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Red snapper seized by Coast Guard law enforcement crews that interdicted a Mexican boat crew fishing illegally in federal waters off southern Texas, Nov. 24, 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/ZwEV3B">U.S. Coast Guard</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>4. Scientists are designing an ‘internet of the ocean’</h2>
<p>Just as there are unnumbered life forms in the ocean yet to be discovered, there also are many unanswered questions about its physical processes. For example, scientists know that the ocean <a href="https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Carbon+Storage">pulls carbon from the atmosphere</a> and transfers it to deep waters, where it can remain stored for long periods. But they don’t know how biological and chemical shifts affect this carbon cycling process. </p>
<p>Scientists at the <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> in Massachusetts are designing a monitoring system called the Ocean Vital Signs Network that could make it possible to test strategies for storing more carbon in the ocean and tracking how well they work. They envision “a large network of moorings and sensors that <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-envision-an-internet-of-the-ocean-with-sensors-and-autonomous-vehicles-that-can-explore-the-deep-sea-and-monitor-its-vital-signs-197134">provides 4D eyes on the oceans</a> – the fourth dimension being time – that are always on, always connected to monitor these carbon cycling processes and ocean health,” wrote WHOI director <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Etpzd_UAAAAJ&hl=en">Peter de Menocal</a>, a marine geologist and paleoclimatologist.</p>
<p>The network would include intelligent gliders and autonomous vehicles that could collect data and then dock, repower and upload it. It also would use sensors and acoustic transceivers to monitor dark, hidden reaches of the ocean where carbon is stored. “This network makes observation possible for making decisions that will affect future generations,” de Menocal wrote.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-envision-an-internet-of-the-ocean-with-sensors-and-autonomous-vehicles-that-can-explore-the-deep-sea-and-monitor-its-vital-signs-197134">Scientists envision an 'internet of the ocean,' with sensors and autonomous vehicles that can explore the deep sea and monitor its vital signs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5. Ocean plastic waste has a message for humans</h2>
<p>Over the past several decades, plastic pollution has become one of the world’s more widespread environmental crises. Every year, millions of tons of plastic trash end up in the ocean, <a href="https://theconversation.com/newly-hatched-florida-sea-turtles-are-consuming-dangerous-quantities-of-floating-plastic-143785">killing sea creatures</a>, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/tiny-plastics-big-threat-how-are-microplastics-impacting-our-coral-reefs">smothering ecosystems</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/hundreds-of-fish-species-including-many-that-humans-eat-are-consuming-plastic-154634">threatening human health</a>.</p>
<p>Georgia State University art professor <a href="https://artdesign.gsu.edu/profile/pamela-longobardi/">Pam Longobardi</a> grew up in New Jersey, where her father brought home plastic trinkets from his job at the chemical company Union Carbide. Today, Longobardi collects plastic waste from shorelines around the world and sculpts it into large-scale installations that are both eye-catching and alarming. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A large sculpted anchor in the center of an art gallery, with ties to life preservers mounted on the ceiling." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509544/original/file-20230210-25-ixc2yr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Albatross’ and ‘Hope Floats,’ 2017. Recovered ocean plastic, survival rescue blankets, life vest straps and steel.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pam Longobardi</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“I see plastic as <a href="https://theconversation.com/my-art-uses-plastic-recovered-from-beaches-around-the-world-to-understand-how-our-consumer-society-is-transforming-the-ocean-187970">a zombie material that haunts the ocean</a>,” Longobardi wrote. “I am interested in ocean plastic in particular because of what it reveals about us as humans in a global culture, and about the ocean as a cultural space and a giant dynamic engine of life and change. Because ocean plastic visibly shows nature’s attempts to reabsorb and regurgitate it, it has profound stories to tell.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/my-art-uses-plastic-recovered-from-beaches-around-the-world-to-understand-how-our-consumer-society-is-transforming-the-ocean-187970">My art uses plastic recovered from beaches around the world to understand how our consumer society is transforming the ocean</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207083/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Humans rely on the ocean for food, jobs and other resources, but these systems are being stressed to the brink.Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Cities Editor, The ConversationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2063382023-05-30T15:31:45Z2023-05-30T15:31:45ZPlastic recycling is failing – here’s how the world must respond<p>Recycling was once considered the obvious solution to the excessive amount of new (or virgin) plastic produced each year. This is no longer realistic. Global recycling capacity simply cannot keep up with the taking, making and wasting of natural resources.</p>
<p>Growing mountains of plastic waste are accumulating in the poorest countries as affluent nations such as the UK ship their recycling overseas. But some nations are importing <a href="https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-The-Truth-Behind-Trash-FINAL.pdf">far more plastic waste</a> than they can possibly recycle. </p>
<p>The recycling process itself also creates problems. A <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GreenpeaceUSA_ForeverToxic_ENG.pdf">new report</a> by Greenpeace and the International Pollutants Elimination Network has revealed how plastics which are made with or come into contact with toxic chemicals, such as flame retardants, can contaminate the recycling process by spreading these toxins through subsequent batches of plastic waste. Another recent study showed that recycling facilities can release <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772416623000803">hundreds of tonnes of microplastics</a> into the environment each year.</p>
<p>Only <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.1700782">6-9%</a> of all plastic ever produced has been sent for recycling. Although plastic and other waste is collected for recycling in most countries, the amount of material that is remade into the same or similar products (what is called closed-loop recycling) is extremely low. <a href="https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_IR_Future_of_Reusable_Consumption_2021.pdf">Only 2%</a> of plastic waste is recycled in a closed loop and not turned into something of lower quality, which is called downcycling. Recycling can not fully replace virgin material as it can only be <a href="https://doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-547">recycled twice</a> before losing necessary properties, and so most recycling results in a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jiec.12355">downgraded material</a> that cannot be used for the same purpose.</p>
<p>A more sustainable approach would prioritise preventing plastic waste by taking action at earlier stages of a plastic product’s lifecycle: reducing how much plastic is ultimately made, reusing what exists and replacing plastic with alternative materials where appropriate.</p>
<h2>Reduce</h2>
<p>Manufacturers must stop making so much unnecessary plastic to reduce the amount entering the economy. There is no case for making plastics that are impossible to collect, reuse or recycle, or are <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/42277/Plastic_pollution.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">toxic</a>. Yet they are abundant: think multilayered sachets, thin films and wrappers. These should be phased out as a priority.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360244595_A_global_plastic_treaty_must_cap_production">Global caps</a> on plastic production could restrict its use to reusable products and packaging, reducing the pressure on recycling systems.</p>
<p>You can refuse single-use packaging when shopping if alternatives are available and affordable. Choose loose vegetables, or products wrapped in packaging that can be refilled.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person fills a glass container with cleaning fluid from a container on a shelf." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529075/original/file-20230530-29-7j14y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529075/original/file-20230530-29-7j14y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529075/original/file-20230530-29-7j14y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529075/original/file-20230530-29-7j14y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529075/original/file-20230530-29-7j14y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529075/original/file-20230530-29-7j14y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529075/original/file-20230530-29-7j14y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Retailers must make it easier for customers to refill containers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-woman-filling-container-cleaning-product-1549411349">Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Reuse</h2>
<p>Using the plastic you already have for as long as possible reduces the amount of new products and packaging that need to be made and how much waste is ultimately sent for recycling. </p>
<p>Roughly 250 billion single-use coffee cups are used worldwide <a href="https://www.closedlooppartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CLP_Bringing-Reusable-Packaging-Systems-to-Life.pdf">every year</a> – a figure that could be slashed by governments setting national mandates for <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/addressing-single-use-plastic-products-pollution-using-life-cycle-approach">reusable cups and bottles</a>. This might <a href="https://www.systemiq.earth/breakingtheplasticwave/">involve</a> shops, cafés and other venues <a href="https://plasticspolicy.port.ac.uk/research/making-reuse-reality/">providing reusable packaging</a> for any products they sell and ensuring each one is used, tracked, washed, returned and replenished for the next consumer cycle.</p>
<h2>Substitute</h2>
<p>Metals, glass, or paper can be used instead of plastic, but there is no universal sustainable alternative. The most appropriate material depends on the item’s use. </p>
<p>The environmental consequences of any material should be rigorously assessed across its entire life cycle – from production to use and disposal – to ensure it does <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/42277/Plastic_pollution.pdf?sequence=4">more good than harm</a>. And such assessments must consider all social, environmental and economic costs. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ranked-the-environmental-impact-of-five-different-soft-drink-containers-149642">Ranked: the environmental impact of five different soft drink containers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The true cost of making, distributing and disposing of plastic is estimated to be more than <a href="https://europe.nxtbook.com/nxteu/wwfintl/tcops/index.php#/p/14">ten times greater</a> than what the customer pays for the product. Including the hidden costs of environmental damage and human misery arising from pollution in the price of virgin plastic, by taxing manufacturers or retailers for instance, could boost the economic case for alternatives.</p>
<h2>Recycling can still be useful</h2>
<p>Not all plastics can be reused, especially medical devices. When all alternatives have been exhausted, recycling keeps material in the economy and temporarily delays the need for more virgin plastic. But the existence of recycling shouldn’t justify making more plastic.</p>
<p>Recycling must not pollute. Manufacturers should only make plastics which can be recycled via methods proven to be safe and clean, and ban toxic additives. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267284">Simple labelling</a> can help consumers make informed decisions about how, where and what to either reuse or recycle, which would help prevent recycling loads becoming contaminated with non-recyclable waste and toxins.</p>
<p>Plastics sent for recycling should be treated in the most socially and environmentally responsible way. High-income countries which export waste to poorer countries for cheap recycling do so without guarantees that infrastructure exists to manage this waste where it ends up. The result is waste leaking into the environment, and toxic plastic blocking drainage channels and <a href="https://www.tearfund.org/stories/media/press-releases/plastic-pollution-increases-flooding-risk-for-more-than-200-million-of-worlds-poorest-people">causing floods</a>. Some of this is <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-crisis-up-to-a-billion-tonnes-of-waste-potentially-burned-in-the-open-every-year-152778">burned outdoors</a>, which comes with its own risks to health and the environment. <a href="https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-The-Truth-Behind-Trash-FINAL.pdf">Banning or restricting exports</a> would help.</p>
<p>Precarious workers in the informal waste sector collect, sort and sell recyclable materials and carry out <a href="https://apps1.unep.org/resolutions/uploads/global_alliance_of_waste_pickers.pdf">60%</a> of global recycling. Waste reclaimers endure poor health and low pay but their extensive knowledge is invaluable and must be acknowledged. Policies to protect their rights and <a href="https://www.tearfund.org/stories/2023/03/waste-pickers-the-hidden-heroes">improve their livelihoods</a> are needed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/waste-pickers-risk-their-lives-to-stop-plastic-pollution-now-they-could-help-shape-global-recycling-policies-195311">Waste pickers risk their lives to stop plastic pollution – now they could help shape global recycling policies</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Countries meeting in Paris for the second of five rounds of negotiations for an <a href="https://www.unep.org/events/conference/second-session-intergovernmental-negotiating-committee-develop-international">international treaty</a> to end plastic pollution will discuss all areas of the plastic lifecycle - from the extraction of material to manufacturing, use and disposal. Banning unnecessary plastics, toxic additives and waste exports should be high on the agenda, along with schemes to encourage reuse and repair.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 10,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206338/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cressida Bowyer receives funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Flotilla Foundation</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keiron Roberts receives funding from UNEP, Innovate UK and Research England</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Northen has received funding from the Flotilla Foundation. </span></em></p>Making less plastic and reusing what exists should be the priority.Cressida Bowyer, Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director, Revolution Plastics, University of PortsmouthKeiron Roberts, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and the Built Environment, University of PortsmouthStephanie Northen, Research Associate, Revolution Plastics, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2060602023-05-28T20:05:05Z2023-05-28T20:05:05Z3 little-known reasons why plastic recycling could actually make things worse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528503/original/file-20230526-17-5fzgqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C0%2C5970%2C4016&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/engineer-standing-looking-back-plastic-bottle-1492220252">Chanchai Phetdikhai, Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This week in Paris, negotiators from around the world are <a href="https://www.unep.org/events/conference/second-session-intergovernmental-negotiating-committee-develop-international">convening</a> for a United Nations meeting. They will tackle a thorny problem: finding a globally binding solution for plastic pollution. </p>
<p>Of the staggering <a href="https://stats.oecd.org/viewhtml.aspx?datasetcode=PLASTIC_USE_6&lang=en">460 million tonnes of plastic used globally in 2019 alone</a>, much is used only once and thrown away. About <a href="https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastic-pollution-is-growing-relentlessly-as-waste-management-and-recycling-fall-short.htm">40% of plastic waste</a> comes from packaging. Almost two-thirds of plastic waste comes from items with lifetimes of less than five years. </p>
<p>The plastic waste that escapes into nature persists and breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces, <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782">eventually becoming microplastics</a>. Plastics now contaminate virtually every environment, from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/20/microplastic-pollution-found-near-summit-of-mount-everest">mountain peaks to oceans</a>. Plastic has entered vital systems such as our food chain and even the human <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-in-human-blood-for-first-time">blood stream</a>. </p>
<p>Governments and industry <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/nations-agree-end-plastic-pollution">increasingly acknowledge</a> the urgent need to reduce plastic pollution. They are introducing <a href="https://apco.org.au/the-australian-packaging-covenant">rules and incentives</a> to help businesses stop using single-use plastics while also encouraging collection and recycling. </p>
<p>As a sustainability researcher, I explore opportunities to <a href="https://www.scu.edu.au/research/zerowaste/">reduce plastic waste </a>in sectors such as tourism, hospitality and meat production. I know how quickly we could make big changes. But I’ve also seen how quick-fix solutions can create complex future problems. So we must proceed with caution.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1660873190577680384"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-how-the-new-global-treaty-on-plastic-pollution-can-help-solve-this-crisis-179149">Here's how the new global treaty on plastic pollution can help solve this crisis</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Plastic avoidance is top priority</h2>
<p>We must urgently eliminate waste and build a so-called “<a href="https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview">circular economy</a>”. For plastics, that means reuse or recycling back into the same type of plastic, not lower grade plastic. The plastic can be used to make similar products that then can be recycled again and again. </p>
<p>This means plastics should only be used where they can be captured at their end of life and recycled into a product of the same or higher value, with as little loss as possible. </p>
<p>Probably the only example of this to date is the recycling of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) soft-drink bottles in Norway and Switzerland. They boast recovery rates of <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-02-norway-bottles-plastic-fantastic.html">97%</a> and <a href="https://houseofswitzerland.org/swissstories/environment/switzerland-leads-way-pet-recycling">95%</a> respectively.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://wastewise.be/2014/11/ad-lansink/">waste management pyramid</a> below shows how to prioritise actions to lessen the waste problem. It is particularly relevant to single-use plastics. Our top priority, demanding the biggest investment, is prevention and reduction through redesign of products.</p>
<p>Where elimination is not yet achievable, reuse solutions or recycling to the same or higher-level products can be sought to make plastics circular.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Inverted pyramid diagram showing waste management priorities" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527407/original/file-20230522-21-y07zqy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527407/original/file-20230522-21-y07zqy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527407/original/file-20230522-21-y07zqy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527407/original/file-20230522-21-y07zqy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527407/original/file-20230522-21-y07zqy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527407/original/file-20230522-21-y07zqy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527407/original/file-20230522-21-y07zqy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In the inverted pyramid of waste management priorities, downcycling is almost the last resort.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pascal Scherrer</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/with-better-standards-we-could-make-plastics-endlessly-useful-and-slash-waste-heres-how-189985">With better standards, we could make plastics endlessly useful – and slash waste. Here's how</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Unfortunately, a lack of high-quality reprocessing facilities means plastic waste keeps growing. In Australia, plastic is largely “downcycled”, which means it is recycled into lower quality plastics. </p>
<p>This can seem like an attractive way to deal with waste-plastic stockpiles, particularly after the recent collapse of soft-plastics recycler <a href="https://theconversation.com/redcycles-collapse-is-more-proof-that-plastic-recycling-is-a-broken-system-194528">RedCycle</a>. But downcycling risks doing more harm than good. Here are three reasons why: </p>
<h2>1. Replacing wood with recycled plastics risks contaminating our wildest natural spaces</h2>
<p>An increasing number of benches, tables, bollards and boardwalks are being made from recycled plastic. This shift away from timber is touted as a sustainable step - but caution is warranted when introducing these products to pristine areas such as national parks. </p>
<p>Wood is naturally present in those areas. It has a proven record of longevity and, when degrading, does not introduce foreign matter into the natural system. </p>
<p>Swapping wood for plastic <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749122019510?via%3Dihub">may introduce microplastics</a> into the few remaining places relatively free of them. Replacing wood with downcycled plastics also risks plastic pollution through weathering or fire.</p>
<h2>2. Taking circular plastics from their closed loop to meet recycled-content targets creates more waste</h2>
<p>Clear PET bottles used for beverages are the most circular plastic stream in Australia, approaching a 70% recovery rate. When these bottles are recycled back into clear PET bottles, they are circular plastics.</p>
<p>However, the used PET bottles are increasingly being turned into meat trays, berry punnets and <a href="https://www.praise.com.au/faqs-100-recycled-bottles">mayonnaise jars</a> to help producers meet the <a href="https://apco.org.au/national-packaging-targets">2025 National Packaging Target</a> of 50% recycled content (on average) in packaging. </p>
<p>The problem is the current industry <a href="https://anzpacplasticspact.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Recovered-Polymer-Specifications_FINAL_June2021d.pdf">specifications for plastics recovery</a> allow only downcycling of these trays, punnets and jars. This means that circular PET is removed from a closed loop into a lower-grade recovery stream. This leads to non-circular downcycling and more plastic sent to landfill. </p>
<h2>3. Using “compostable” plastics in non-compostable conditions creates still more plastic pollution</h2>
<p>Increasingly, plastics are labelled as compostable and biodegradable. However, well-intended use of compostable plastics can cause long-term plastic pollution.</p>
<p>At the right temperature with the right amount of moisture, compostable plastics breakdown into soil. But if the conditions are not “just right”, they won’t break down at all. </p>
<p>For example, when a landscape architect or engineer uses a “compostable” synthetic fabric instead of a natural alternative (such as coir or jute mats) they can inadvertently introduce persistent plastics into the environment. This is because the temperature is not hot enough for the synthetic mat to break down.</p>
<p>We must also <a href="https://documents.packagingcovenant.org.au/public-documents/Considerations%20for%20Compostable%20Packaging">differentiate</a> between “home compostable” and “commercially compostable”. Commercial facilities are more effective at composting because they operate under more closely controlled conditions.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1658419925638152192"}"></div></p>
<h2>Learning from our mistakes</h2>
<p>Clearly, we need to reduce our reliance on plastics and shift away from linear systems – including recycling into lower-grade products. </p>
<p>Such downcycling may have a temporary role in dealing with existing plastic in the system while circular recycling capacity is being built. But we must not develop downcycling “solutions” that need a long-term stream of plastic waste to remain viable.</p>
<p>What’s more, downcycling requires constantly finding new markets for their lower-grade products. Circular systems are more robust.</p>
<p>So, to the negotiators in Paris, yes the shift to a circular plastics economy is urgent. But beware of good intentions that could ultimately make things worse.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/plastic-action-or-distraction-as-climate-change-bears-down-calls-to-reduce-plastic-pollution-are-not-wasted-202780">Plastic action or distraction? As climate change bears down, calls to reduce plastic pollution are not wasted</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206060/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pascal Scherrer currently works on a plastic waste reduction project funded by the Australian Meat Processor Corporation. He recently completed a secondment with the ANZPAC Plastics Pact team. He is also a former member of the Northcoast Regional Advisory Committee by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.</span></em></p>As a sustainability researcher, I know how quickly we could make big changes to reduce plastic pollution. Here’s what we – both individually and globally – should be doing more of, and what to avoid.Pascal Scherrer, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business, Law and Art, Southern Cross UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2060332023-05-24T22:05:47Z2023-05-24T22:05:47ZBiodegradable plastic in clothing doesn’t break down nearly as quickly as hoped – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527803/original/file-20230523-19-o9bcee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1000%2C652&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Discarded clothing is responsible for millions of tonnes of plastic waste each year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/shirts-floating-deep-water-blue-1299694219">Yudhistira99/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Over <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/42277/Plastic_pollution.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">100 million tonnes</a> of plastic enters the environment each year, with more than <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1260352">10 million tonnes</a> ending up in our oceans. These plastics break down into harmful microplastic particles so small they can be consumed by wildlife.</p>
<p>We all recognise discarded bottles and bags as plastic waste. But the synthetic fibres that are woven into our clothing – polyester, nylon, acrylic and others – are equally problematic. Every year, more than <a href="https://textileexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Textile-Exchange_Preferred-Fiber-and-Materials-Market-Report_2021.pdf">60 million tonnes</a> of plastic fabric is produced, a considerable amount of which ultimately finds it way to landfill. </p>
<p>One promising approach to tackle this crisis is the use of “biodegradable” plastics. These plastics are designed to break down naturally into gases and water, which are then released back into the environment without causing long-lasting damage.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-biodegradable-plastic-is-not-biodegradable-116368">When biodegradable plastic is not biodegradable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But the reality of biodegradable plastic (or “bioplastic”) falls short of meeting our expectations. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0284681">New research</a>, led by the <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography</a> in San Diego, California, has found that a popular bioplastic material called polylactic acid does not break down in the environment nearly as quickly as hoped.</p>
<p>The researchers suspended fibre samples from both bio- and oil-based plastic materials, as well as natural fibres such as cotton, in coastal waters and on the seafloor. Over time, they examined these individual fibres under a microscope to see if they were breaking down. While cotton fibres began to break down within a month, synthetic fibres, including bioplastic materials such as polylactic acid, showed no signs of breaking down even after 400 days submerged in the ocean.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A figure showing the disintegration time in days for five types of material exposed to coastal waters." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527970/original/file-20230524-22-wl6nxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disintegration time in days for five types of material exposed to coastal waters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Royer et al. (2023)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Finding their way into the sea</h2>
<p>The plastic pollution that stems from clothing is a particularly tricky area. Clothes are often not recycled or even recyclable, and they release tiny plastic fibres into the environment through gradual wear and tear. </p>
<p>Clothing fibres can reach our oceans via multiple pathways. Clothes that are washed into the sea, for example, will be broken up physically by wave action or friction with sand particles. This process leads to the release of fibres as the garment frays. </p>
<p>Even by just wearing our clothes, plastic fibres are <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b06892">discharged into the environment</a> – some of which may eventually settle in the ocean. And during the process of washing our clothes, fibres become dislodged and are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X16307639">carried down our drains</a>, also potentially ending up the sea. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hundreds-of-millions-of-microplastic-particles-could-be-flowing-into-uk-rivers-hidden-in-raw-sewage-177869">Hundreds of millions of microplastic particles could be flowing into UK rivers, hidden in raw sewage</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>No matter what we do, clothing fibres will inevitably find their way into the environment. So, it is sensible to give serious consideration to what happens to these fibres once released.</p>
<h2>Why does this matter?</h2>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36006158/">Research</a> has found evidence that polylactic acid microfibres are potentially toxic to marine organisms, including jellyfish. The jellyfish studied changed their pulse frequency when exposed to high concentrations of these plastic fibres, potentially reducing their ability to hunt, avoid predators, and maintain orientation in the water. </p>
<p>The presence of polylactic acid fibres in the marine environment may cause jellyfish numbers and behaviour to change. Such changes could have far-reaching implications for marine ecosystems. Jellyfish are widely distributed across all oceans and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016953471830209X?casa_token=-HSFmAR5BdIAAAAA:liKw9NiK5jjgu0Le49ysJsxWzJ_5QBFLPDtLmfyFv-lT_86bUWoAcPJWQeTSTdXSCjv4p1DPGw">play a crucial role</a> in the marine food web, both as predators and prey. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A compass jellyfish drifting off the Welsh coast." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527964/original/file-20230524-26-jusz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527964/original/file-20230524-26-jusz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527964/original/file-20230524-26-jusz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527964/original/file-20230524-26-jusz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527964/original/file-20230524-26-jusz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527964/original/file-20230524-26-jusz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527964/original/file-20230524-26-jusz0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A compass jellyfish drifting off the Welsh coast.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/compass-jellyfish-chrysaora-hysoscella-drifting-midwater-2135016713">JDScuba/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The longevity of polylactic acid fibres in the marine environment is another concern. The longer these fibres remain in the environment, the more likely it is they will be eaten by marine organisms. </p>
<p>Bioaccumulation, where microplastics and their associated chemicals accumulate across a marine food web, is then likely to occur. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0240792">Research</a> has found evidence of microplastic bioaccumulation across multiple species and microplastic types. </p>
<h2>Tackling plastic pollution</h2>
<p>No matter how the plastic enters the environment, solutions are needed to <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/42277/Plastic_pollution.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">tackle plastic pollution</a>. Biodegradable plastics are one potential option, but only if they are made from materials that are truly able to break down quickly in the natural environment. They would reduce the time in which plastic materials spend in the environment.</p>
<p>As with conventional plastics, though, bioplastics must still be disposed of correctly. But research has found that the labels and instructions on many biodegradable products are often confusing and misleading. In a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2022.942724/full">study of 9,701 UK citizens</a>, many reported not having understood the meaning of the labels of degradable, compostable and biodegradable plastics. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person holding a biodegradable plastic bag." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527960/original/file-20230524-15-pvzc2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527960/original/file-20230524-15-pvzc2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527960/original/file-20230524-15-pvzc2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527960/original/file-20230524-15-pvzc2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527960/original/file-20230524-15-pvzc2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527960/original/file-20230524-15-pvzc2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527960/original/file-20230524-15-pvzc2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Research shows many people misunderstand the meaning of the labels of degradable, compostable and biodegradable plastics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/plastic-strength-test-made-plant-based-2109593699">wisely/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This could lead to biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics being disposed of incorrectly. Plastic that is released into the environment may not decompose, and will instead break down into small pieces of microplastic. </p>
<p>Polylactic acid <a href="https://edepot.wur.nl/514397">can break down</a> in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.034">specialised industrial composting plants</a>. But even then, not all composting processes can handle every type of bioplastic. The plastic material has to meet specific <a href="https://www.en-standard.eu/bs-en-13432-2000-packaging.-requirements-for-packaging-recoverable-through-composting-and-biodegradation.-test-scheme-and-evaluation-criteria-for-the-final-acceptance-of-packaging/">criteria</a> and produce compost of a <a href="https://www.qualitycompost.org.uk/standards/pas100">minimum standard</a>. </p>
<p>As the world uses more biodegradable plastic, we need to make sure this material’s environmental footprint is minimised. With that in mind, improving labelling and disposal instructions and improving access to industrial composting could all help.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206033/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Keiron Roberts receives funding from UNEP and Innovate UK</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fay Couceiro receives funding from Southern Water, OFWAT and multiple charities involved with GB Row Challenge (<a href="https://www.gbrowchallenge.com/">https://www.gbrowchallenge.com/</a>). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Muhammad Ali receives funding from Innovate UK and the construction industry.</span></em></p>Polylactic acid – a popular bioplastic – does not readily break down when released into the ocean, and could disrupt marine ecosystemsKeiron Roberts, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and the Built Environment, University of PortsmouthFay Couceiro, Principal Research Fellow in Biogeochemistry and Environmental Pollution, University of PortsmouthMuhammad Ali, Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2056122023-05-19T14:48:48Z2023-05-19T14:48:48ZCheck your tyres: you might be adding unnecessary microplastics to the environment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527250/original/file-20230519-19-lbiwoo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C12%2C4288%2C2830&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Antrim coastal road, Northern Ireland.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/eastern-coast-northern-ireland-antrim-coastal-1359226952">Nahlik/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cost-saving measures are key in today’s economic climate. But they can also have a positive impact on minimising your environmental footprint. A prime example is maintaining your cars’ optimal tyre pressure.</p>
<p>Over time, tyres naturally lose pressure – typically by around <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421506003090">1 psi a month</a>. As pressure decreases, the tyre becomes flatter, causing increased friction between the road and the tyre itself. This heightened friction results in greater drag, reducing the lifespan of your tyre and meaning more fuel is needed for travel.</p>
<p>But driving with flatter tyres also <a href="https://www.actu-environnement.com/media/pdf/news-36643-rapport-ocde-emissions-hors-echappement.pdf">increases the number of tyre wear particles</a> that are released into the environment. These particles – less than a millimetre in size – have been classified as microplastics due to their chemical makeup.</p>
<p>Tyre wear stands out as a major source of microplastic pollution. Globally, each person is responsible for around 1kg of microplastic pollution from tyre wear released into the environment on average each year – with even higher rates observed in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720313358">developed nations</a>. </p>
<p>It is estimated that between <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720313358">8% and 40% of these particles</a> find their way into surface waters such as the sea, rivers and lakes through runoff from road surfaces, wastewater discharge or even through <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X21009310">airborne transport</a>.</p>
<p>However, tyre wear microplastics have been largely overlooked as a microplastic pollutant. Their dark colour makes them difficult to detect, so these particles can’t be identified using the traditional spectroscopy methods used to identify other more colourful plastic polymers. </p>
<p>To understand the extent of tyre wear pollution, scientists have instead had to figure out ways to identify the chemicals that are associated with tyres in water samples. Using these methods, tyre wear chemicals have been found in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es400871j">97% of river and estuary samples</a> tested in Europe, the US and Japan. </p>
<p>And yet, we still know relatively little about the effects of tyre wear pollutants on the health of marine animals. This is what my colleagues and I set out to discover in a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122014580?via%3Dihub#bib2">recent study</a>. </p>
<h2>Filter feeders</h2>
<p>Our study focused on two species common to estuaries in the north-east Atlantic – a bivalve called the <a href="https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1507">peppery furrow shell</a> and the <a href="https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1426">ragworm</a>. The bivalve feeds by filtering organic particles from the water and sediment. </p>
<p>The worm is primarily carnivorous, eating small creatures that live on the seafloor, but it also obtains some of its food from seawater and sediment. Both animals are likely to be exposed to tyre wear particles and the potential toxins they contain.</p>
<p>We carried out two experiments. In the first, we exposed these animals to high concentrations of tyre particles (10%) mixed into the sediment they burrow in for three days to see whether they ingested them. We then dissected the animals and counted any tyre particles within their gastrointestinal tract.</p>
<p>Because the tyre particles are rubbery, and could be compressed with a needle, we were able to analyse them under a microscope. We found that the worms only consumed small concentrations of tyre particles (at most 33). </p>
<p>By contrast, the bivalves had large quantities of both sediment and tyre particles in their stomachs – one bivalve had consumed over 1,000 tyre particles.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man collecting small animals from the bed of a river estuary." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526795/original/file-20230517-11772-dlv1zx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526795/original/file-20230517-11772-dlv1zx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526795/original/file-20230517-11772-dlv1zx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526795/original/file-20230517-11772-dlv1zx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526795/original/file-20230517-11772-dlv1zx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526795/original/file-20230517-11772-dlv1zx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526795/original/file-20230517-11772-dlv1zx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Collecting animals in the Tamar Estuary, Cornwall.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Plymouth Marine Laboratory</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the second experiment, we exposed the animals to three concentrations of tyre particles (0.2%, 1% and 5%) mixed into the sediment for three weeks. We did this to understand how this exposure affected their health. </p>
<p>We measured a number of health indicators, ranging from cellular to organism level. Bivalve health was affected at all of the concentrations tested, with feeding and burrowing impaired even at low concentrations (0.2%). At a high concentration (5%), we observed a decrease in protein content and an increase in <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/oxidative-stress">oxidative stress</a>.</p>
<p>Oxidative stress occurs when there are too many unstable molecules called free radicals in the body. These free radicals can lead to cell and tissue damage. </p>
<p>At low concentrations, the health of the worm was not affected. But we did observe a decrease in protein and energy content and signs of oxidative stress as exposure to tyre wear particles increased.</p>
<h2>Should we be concerned?</h2>
<p>Concentrations of tyre wear particles as high as 5% are unlikely in the natural environment. But our results are still worrying, particularly as the time in which the animals were exposed to the particles was short. The observed decrease in bivalve feeding and burrowing at low concentrations suggests exposure to tyre wear microplastics in the wild will significantly impact this species.</p>
<p>Any decline in the health of these species could have a knock on effect on the wider marine ecosystem. Burrowing animals, like the bivalve, play crucial roles in recycling nutrients and enhancing photosynthesis. They are also an important food source for larger animals including birds, fish and crabs. </p>
<p>There is evidence that some of the chemicals that leach from these particles are toxic to marine animals. Research shows that they can reduce <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166445X22002259#:%7E:text=Abstract,be%20potentially%20toxic%20to%20biota.">phytoplankton growth</a> and harm the health of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166445X22002259#:%7E:text=Abstract,be%20potentially%20toxic%20to%20biota.">mussels</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A glaucous-winged gull holding a large clam in its beak." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527241/original/file-20230519-29-in874j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527241/original/file-20230519-29-in874j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527241/original/file-20230519-29-in874j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527241/original/file-20230519-29-in874j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527241/original/file-20230519-29-in874j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527241/original/file-20230519-29-in874j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527241/original/file-20230519-29-in874j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bivalves are a food source for many larger animals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/glaucouswinged-gull-holds-large-clam-beak-1911228703">Daniel Bruce Lacy/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The chemical make-up of tyres varies depending on brand and car model – subsequently, toxicity will <a href="https://www.emissionsanalytics.com/news/whats-in-a-tyre">vary too</a>. In the future, the complex mixture of components that go into the production of tyres must be risk assessed more rigorously. </p>
<p>The chemicals that are found to have a negative impact on human and environmental health should then be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122011885#:%7E:text=If%20there%20are%20chemicals%20present,be%20provided%20to%20the%20customer.">substituted or removed</a>, thereby reducing the impact of these microplastics in the environment.</p>
<p>Until then, there are several simple things you can do to help. These include maintaining the correct tyre pressure, avoiding sharp braking or acceleration and reducing your vehicle load. All of these will <a href="https://www.actu-environnement.com/media/pdf/news-36643-rapport-ocde-emissions-hors-echappement.pdf">reduce the amount of microplastics</a> that your car releases into the environment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205612/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Garrard received her funding through a Daphne Jackson Fellowship, supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), in association with Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the University of Plymouth.</span></em></p>Inflating your cars’ tyres properly isn’t just good for your bank account - it can minimise your environmental footprint too.Samantha Garrard, Marine Ecosystem Services Researcher, Plymouth Marine LaboratoryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2050622023-05-15T15:43:20Z2023-05-15T15:43:20ZReusable nappies can reduce the environmental footprint of parenting – but only if they’re used with care<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525867/original/file-20230512-7689-sqf4xc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C0%2C6639%2C4476&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Disposable nappies are a major source of plastic pollution.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-changing-her-babys-diaper-on-1719589099">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Around the world, another <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth#how-has-world-population-growth-changed-over-time">45 babies are born</a> every ten seconds. Each of these babies will require nappies that need to be changed frequently. So it’s understandable that new parents want to do what’s best for their baby – and the planet – when it comes to the all-important nappy change. </p>
<p>With the advent of disposable nappies, the experience of wrestling children into rubbery triangles of cloth while attempting to pin everything in place has become a thing of the past. These single-use nappies are more absorbent and are designed for quick and easy changing. </p>
<p>Disposable nappies have transformed the lives of busy parents. But this popular option has its drawbacks. Disposable nappies are difficult to recycle. Many end up being <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/20/disposable-nappies-plastic-waste-diapers">dumped in the environment</a> or sent to landfill. <a href="https://bbia.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Circular-Economy-for-Nappies-final-oct-2020.pdf">One study</a> found that more than 300,000 disposable nappies are incinerated, sent to landfill or end up in the environment every minute. </p>
<p>These nappies also contain several different plastics which <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-diaper-evacuation-brigade-clean-up-rivers-1941671">take years to break down</a>, and when they do they release harmful microplastics. The waste – and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346641495_Disposable_Diapers_Impact_of_Disposal_Methods_on_Public_Health_and_the_Environment">chemicals</a> – inside the nappy itself can also end up leaching out into the environment and contaminating soil and water sources. </p>
<p>However, there are potentially more sustainable alternatives. One is biodegradable nappies. But even these nappies have been <a href="https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/why-biodegradable-nappies-might-not-be-as-eco-friendly-as-you-think-aK1SK3T9QWBm#:%7E:text=There%20isn%27t%20currently%20a%20UK%20standard%20that%20nappy,open%20air%2C%20not%20those%20disposed%20of%20in%20landfill.">met with criticism</a> – all biodegradable nappies contain some plastic materials (like sticky tabs made from polyurethane) so will take many years to break down.</p>
<p>Increasing uptake of reusable nappies is another option. It would certainly generate less plastic waste, but whether reusable nappies are truly a better environmental choice is unclear.</p>
<h2>Environmental footprint of nappies</h2>
<p>In 2008, the Environment Agency carried out a <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291130/scho0808boir-e-e.pdf">study</a> comparing the lifecycle environmental footprint of different nappy options in the UK. This study found little difference between the environmental impact of disposable and reusable nappies. </p>
<p>This study has been recently updated. The <a href="https://randd.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=20622">new report</a> analysed the carbon footprint of reusable and disposable nappies in greater detail and considered how things have changed 15 years on. </p>
<p>Both options are now more sustainable. We have <a href="https://gridwatch.co.uk/">more renewable energy</a> in our energy mix, so the production, packaging and transportation of nappies is now more efficient. Disposable nappies are also <a href="https://pure.manchester.ac.uk/ws/files/81715879/Eco_efficiency_of_diapers.pdf">lighter and more compact</a> than they were before, so require less packaging and energy to transport.</p>
<p>The environmental impact of both reusable and disposable nappies is, however, still relatively large. The carbon footprint of using disposable nappies for one child up to the age of two and a half is now the equivalent of 457 kg of CO₂ (although this is 27% less than in 2008). Reusable nappies (which this time considered more reusable nappy options than the original study) had 25% less global heating potential – but their carbon footprint was still the equivalent of 345 kg of CO₂. </p>
<p>Disposables performed worse on six environmental impact categories. This was mostly down to how the nappy was produced and disposed of. </p>
<p>Due to the use of plastics, disposable nappies were associated with 40% more fossil fuel use than reusables. The environmental impact of single-use nappies was also much higher when it came to disposal. These nappies had a 26% higher impact on freshwater eutrophication (where water is overloaded with nutrients). </p>
<p>So, does this mean that new parents should rush out and buy reusable nappies? Maybe, but with a note of caution. Reusable nappies were outperformed by disposables on 11 of the 18 environmental factors considered. </p>
<p>This was associated mainly with the electricity and detergent used to wash and dry them. The latter caused 333% more marine pollution than the use of disposable nappies.</p>
<h2>Reducing your footprint</h2>
<p>The good news is that this impact is something that we can control. Parents can lower their impact by washing nappies at lower temperature settings or in more efficient machines, avoiding the tumble drier and extending their use by passing them on to other children. </p>
<p>Another option is washing nappies together in full washing loads. But this would require having sufficient nappies available to allow storage of used nappies while also having a clean and dry supply for your baby. </p>
<p>One way of making sure the laundry is done efficiently is to sign up to a <a href="https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a560107/using-a-nappy-laundry-service">local nappy laundry service</a> if there is one nearby. These companies collect your dirty nappies and give you freshly-laundered ones in return. </p>
<p>Whichever type of nappy we use, a final thing we could do is to toilet train our children earlier. The updated study revealed that, since 2008, parents have shifted to potty training their children at a later stage in their development. Around 37% of children aged two and a half, for example, are still wearing disposable nappies, while 35% were still in reusable nappies – 19.4% and 17.4% more than in 2008 respectively. This means that we are producing, using and transporting more nappies, and using more water and energy to wash them.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Clothes line full of reusable baby diapers in front of a clear blue sky." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525872/original/file-20230512-17-ao5g7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525872/original/file-20230512-17-ao5g7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525872/original/file-20230512-17-ao5g7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525872/original/file-20230512-17-ao5g7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525872/original/file-20230512-17-ao5g7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525872/original/file-20230512-17-ao5g7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525872/original/file-20230512-17-ao5g7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parents can reduce their impact by air drying reusable nappies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/clothes-line-full-reusable-baby-diapers-12791776">Robin Phinizy/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Reusable nappies can help to lower our carbon footprint. But only if we wash at lower temperatures, with efficient equipment and avoid tumble drying. In the UK, especially in winter, this last point could be an issue, so having a mixed approach would be a suitable compromise. </p>
<p>Parents could continue to choose disposable nappies when line drying is difficult. There are also several steps we can take to lessen the environmental impact of disposable nappies are their use. Not dumping them in the environment is a good start – but making sure they go to a waste-to-energy incinerator, or even better, there are now <a href="https://diaperrecyclingeurope.eu/en/recycling-process/">ways to recycle</a> them and turn them into something new.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205062/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sharon George receives funding from Research England for energy-related research.</span></em></p>How to be more a more eco-friendly parent – it’s not as simple as ditching disposable nappies.Sharon George, Research Chair, Indigenous Approaches to Environmental Management, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.