1
|
Savage J, Chamberlain A, Fellows M, Jones R, Letessier TB, Llewellyn F, Morritt D, Rowcliffe M, Koldewey H. Big brands impact small islands: Sources of plastic pollution in a remote and protected archipelago. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 203:116476. [PMID: 38781799 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Remote islands are disproportionately affected by plastic pollution, often originating from elsewhere, so it is important to understand its origins, to stop debris entering the ocean at their source. We investigated the origins of beached plastic drink bottles in the Chagos Archipelago, a large remote Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Indian Ocean. We recorded the brands, countries of manufacture, types of drink, and ages of plastic bottles and their lids. The prevalent type of drink was water, with items mostly manufactured in Indonesia, China, and the Maldives. The main brands were Danone and the Coca-Cola Company. We deduced that 10 % of the items originated from ships passing the archipelago, including all the items manufactured in China. The identification of the brands creating plastic pollution in remote MPAs with high biodiversity supports extended producer responsibility, one of the proposed policy development areas of the Global Plastics Treaty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Savage
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom; Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom; Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
| | - A Chamberlain
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | - M Fellows
- British Indian Ocean Territory Administration, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, King Charles Street, SW1A 2AH, United Kingdom
| | - R Jones
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | - T B Letessier
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | - F Llewellyn
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | - D Morritt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
| | - M Rowcliffe
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | - H Koldewey
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom; Centre of Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Khatua S, Simal-Gandara J, Acharya K. Myco-remediation of plastic pollution: current knowledge and future prospects. Biodegradation 2024; 35:249-279. [PMID: 37665521 PMCID: PMC10950981 DOI: 10.1007/s10532-023-10053-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
To date, enumerable fungi have been reported to participate in the biodegradation of several notorious plastic materials following their isolation from soil of plastic-dumping sites, marine water, waste of mulch films, landfills, plant parts and gut of wax moth. The general mechanism begins with formation of hydrophobin and biofilm proceding to secretion of specific plastic degarding enzymes (peroxidase, hydrolase, protease and urease), penetration of three dimensional substrates and mineralization of plastic polymers into harmless products. As a result, several synthetic polymers including polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane and/or bio-degradable plastics have been validated to deteriorate within months through the action of a wide variety of fungal strains predominantly Ascomycota (Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium spp.). Understanding the potential and mode of operation of these organisms is thus of prime importance inspiring us to furnish an up to date view on all the presently known fungal strains claimed to mitigate the plastic waste problem. Future research henceforth needs to be directed towards metagenomic approach to distinguish polymer degrading microbial diversity followed by bio-augmentation to build fascinating future of waste disposal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Somanjana Khatua
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, 211002, India
| | - Jesus Simal-Gandara
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain.
| | - Krishnendu Acharya
- Molecular and Applied Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Centre of Advanced Study, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700019, India.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Andriolo U, Gonçalves G, Hidaka M, Gonçalves D, Gonçalves LM, Bessa F, Kako S. Marine litter weight estimation from UAV imagery: Three potential methodologies to advance macrolitter reports. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116405. [PMID: 38663345 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
In the context of marine litter monitoring, reporting the weight of beached litter can contribute to a better understanding of pollution sources and support clean-up activities. However, the litter scaling task requires considerable effort and specific equipment. This experimental study proposes and evaluates three methods to estimate beached litter weight from aerial images, employing different levels of litter categorization. The most promising approach (accuracy of 80 %) combined the outcomes of manual image screening with a generalized litter mean weight (14 g) derived from studies in the literature. Although the other two methods returned values of the same magnitude as the ground-truth, they were found less feasible for the aim. This study represents the first attempt to assess marine litter weight using remote sensing technology. Considering the exploratory nature of this study, further research is needed to enhance the reliability and robustness of the methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Andriolo
- INESC Coimbra, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Polo 2, 3030 - 290 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Gil Gonçalves
- INESC Coimbra, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Polo 2, 3030 - 290 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Department of Mathematics, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Mitsuko Hidaka
- Research Institute for Value-Added-Information Generation (VAiG), Japan Agency for Marine - Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Department of Engineering, Ocean Civil Engineering Program, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
| | - Diogo Gonçalves
- INESC Coimbra, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Polo 2, 3030 - 290 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Department of Civil Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Luisa Maria Gonçalves
- INESC Coimbra, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Polo 2, 3030 - 290 Coimbra, Portugal; School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic of Leiria, Nova IMS University Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Filipa Bessa
- Centre for Functional Ecology - Science for People & the Planet (CFE), Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Shin'ichiro Kako
- Research Institute for Value-Added-Information Generation (VAiG), Japan Agency for Marine - Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Department of Engineering, Ocean Civil Engineering Program, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Benito-Kaesbach A, Suárez-Moncada J, Velastegui A, Moreno-Mendoza J, Vera-Zambrano M, Avendaño U, Ryan PG, Sanz-Lázaro C. Understanding the sources of marine litter in remote islands: The Galapagos islands as a case study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 347:123772. [PMID: 38490527 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Determining the sources of marine litter is necessary to mitigate this increasing global problem. Plastic bottles are useful tracers of marine litter and constitute the main item (24%) stranding on remote beaches in the Galapagos Islands. The aim of this study was to estimate the abundance of plastic bottles in remote beaches and inferred their sources. To do so, we collected plastic bottles at 60 remote Galapagos Island beaches from 2018 to 2022. 76% of beaches were qualified as badly polluted, with >34 bottles·100 m-1. Most identified bottles came from Peru (71%), followed by China (17%) and Ecuador (9%). Although most locally-sold products are made in Ecuador, they contribute little to beach litter loads. Polyethylene terephthalate bottles with lid (necessary for litter dispersal) represented 88% of all bottles, demonstrating that most of the litter reaching the Galapagos comes from distant sources, mainly from South America. However, bottle ages indicate that at least 10% of Peruvian, 26% of Ecuadorian, and all Chinese bottles likely were dumped from ships. Reducing marine litter reaching the Galapagos Islands requires tackling litter leakage from land-based sources in South America and better compliance with regulations banning the dumping of plastics and other persistent wastes from ships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Benito-Kaesbach
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, PO Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Jenifer Suárez-Moncada
- Department of Marine Ecosystems, Galapagos National Park Directorate, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Alfonso Velastegui
- Department of Marine Ecosystems, Galapagos National Park Directorate, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Jerson Moreno-Mendoza
- Conservación Internacional Ecuador, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Mariana Vera-Zambrano
- Conservación Internacional Ecuador, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Ulises Avendaño
- Public Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Institute, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Carlos Sanz-Lázaro
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, PO Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain; Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (MIES), Universidad de Alicante, P.O. Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ramilo-Henry M, Umbelina B, Matilde E, Duncan EM. Plastic pollution on remote islands: A baseline study of Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 191:106181. [PMID: 37738737 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Plastic is the most abundant marine anthropogenic debris in the ocean and is of serious global environmental concern. Projects aimed at monitoring plastic pollution quantities are key in evaluating the success of reduction. This study provides baseline information on the quantities of marine debris found on the island of Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic coast of Central Africa. A total of 13,196 items were collected with 64.5% of these items being plastic. Plastic pieces the size of 2.5-50 cm made up 20.8% of all plastic items, followed by plastic bags (13.3%) and fishing material (11.39%). The density of mesoplastic items (<25 and >5mm) ranged between 0 and 6.78 items m-2. Beach location, community presence, and beach level (for turtle-nesting beaches) were important factors in explaining differences in plastic abundance and density around the island. Our results highlight the significance of high plastic pollution accumulation on remote islands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maguiña Ramilo-Henry
- Fundação Príncipe, a Registered Charity in São Tomé and Príncipe, Rua Horta Cana, Santo António, Príncipe, Island, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa.
| | - Belzamiel Umbelina
- Fundação Príncipe, a Registered Charity in São Tomé and Príncipe, Rua Horta Cana, Santo António, Príncipe, Island, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa
| | - Estrela Matilde
- Fundação Príncipe, a Registered Charity in São Tomé and Príncipe, Rua Horta Cana, Santo António, Príncipe, Island, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa
| | - Emily M Duncan
- Fundação Príncipe, a Registered Charity in São Tomé and Príncipe, Rua Horta Cana, Santo António, Príncipe, Island, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa; Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Falk-Andersson J, Rognerud I, De Frond H, Leone G, Karasik R, Diana Z, Dijkstra H, Ammendolia J, Eriksen M, Utz R, Walker TR, Fürst K. Cleaning Up without Messing Up: Maximizing the Benefits of Plastic Clean-Up Technologies through New Regulatory Approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:13304-13312. [PMID: 37638638 PMCID: PMC10501118 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
As the global plastics crisis grows, numerous technologies have been invented and implemented to recover plastic pollution from the environment. Although laudable, unregulated clean-up technologies may be inefficient and have unintended negative consequences on ecosystems, for example, through bycatch or removal of organic matter important for ecosystem functions. Despite these concerns, plastic clean-up technologies can play an important role in reducing litter in the environment. As the United Nations Environment Assembly is moving toward an international, legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution by 2024, the implementation of plastic clean-up technologies should be regulated to secure their net benefits and avoid unintended damages. Regulation can require environmental impact assessments and life cycle analysis to be conducted predeployment on a case-by-case basis to determine their effectiveness and impact and secure environmentally sound management. During operations catch-efficiency and bycatch of nonlitter items, as well as waste management of recovered litter, should be documented. Data collection for monitoring, research, and outreach to mitigate plastic pollution is recommended as added value of implementation of clean-up technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Idun Rognerud
- Norwegian Institute
for Water Research, Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hannah De Frond
- University
of Toronto Trash Team, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Ocean Conservancy, Washington, D.C. 20036, United States
| | - Giulia Leone
- Ghent University, Research Group
Aquatic Ecology, Coupure
links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Flanders
Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400, Ostend, Belgium
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Havenlaan 88, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
- Research
Foundation − Flanders (FWO), Leuvenseweg 38, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rachel Karasik
- Nicholas
Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Zoie Diana
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the
Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina 27708, United States
- Integrated Toxicology
and Environmental Health, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Hanna Dijkstra
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije
Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1111, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Justine Ammendolia
- School
for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
- Faculty of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Marcus Eriksen
- The 5 Gyres Institute, Los Angeles, California 90409, United States
| | - Ria Utz
- Sciences Po Paris, 27, rue Saint-Guillaume, 75007, Paris, France
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Tony R. Walker
- School
for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Kathinka Fürst
- Norwegian Institute
for Water Research, Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pinheiro HT, MacDonald C, Santos RG, Ali R, Bobat A, Cresswell BJ, Francini-Filho R, Freitas R, Galbraith GF, Musembi P, Phelps TA, Quimbayo JP, Quiros TEAL, Shepherd B, Stefanoudis PV, Talma S, Teixeira JB, Woodall LC, Rocha LA. Plastic pollution on the world's coral reefs. Nature 2023; 619:311-316. [PMID: 37438592 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06113-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are losing the capacity to sustain their biological functions1. In addition to other well-known stressors, such as climatic change and overfishing1, plastic pollution is an emerging threat to coral reefs, spreading throughout reef food webs2, and increasing disease transmission and structural damage to reef organisms3. Although recognized as a global concern4, the distribution and quantity of plastics trapped in the world's coral reefs remains uncertain3. Here we survey 84 shallow and deep coral ecosystems at 25 locations across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian ocean basins for anthropogenic macrodebris (pollution by human-generated objects larger than 5 centimetres, including plastics), performing 1,231 transects. Our results show anthropogenic debris in 77 out of the 84 reefs surveyed, including in some of Earth's most remote and near-pristine reefs, such as in uninhabited central Pacific atolls. Macroplastics represent 88% of the anthropogenic debris, and, like other debris types, peak in deeper reefs (mesophotic zones at 30-150 metres depth), with fishing activities as the main source of plastics in most areas. These findings contrast with the global pattern observed in other nearshore marine ecosystems, where macroplastic densities decrease with depth and are dominated by consumer items5. As the world moves towards a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution6, understanding its distribution and drivers provides key information to help to design the strategies needed to address this ubiquitous threat.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hudson T Pinheiro
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Center for Marine Biology, University of São Paulo, São Sebastião, Brazil.
| | - Chancey MacDonald
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Robson G Santos
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Cidade Universitária, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Ramadhoine Ali
- Faculté des Sciences Techniques, Université des Comores, Mvouni, Comoros
| | - Ayesha Bobat
- Wildlands Conservation Trust, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Benjamin J Cresswell
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Rui Freitas
- Instituto de Engenharia e Ciências do Mar, Universidade Técnica do Atlântico, Mindelo, Cabo Verde
| | - Gemma F Galbraith
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Science and Engineering James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter Musembi
- CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Kenya Marine Program, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Tyler A Phelps
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Juan P Quimbayo
- Center for Marine Biology, University of São Paulo, São Sebastião, Brazil
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - T E Angela L Quiros
- Akkeshi Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Bart Shepherd
- Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Paris V Stefanoudis
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nekton Foundation, Oxford, UK
- Museum of Natural History, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | | | - João B Teixeira
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | - Lucy C Woodall
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nekton Foundation, Oxford, UK
- Center of Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Luiz A Rocha
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Andriolo U, Gonçalves G. The octopus pot on the North Atlantic Iberian coast: A plague of plastic on beaches and dunes. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 192:115099. [PMID: 37267867 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This baseline focuses on the octopus pot, a litter item found on the North Atlantic Iberian coast. Octopus pots are deployed from vessels in ropes, with several hundred units, and placed on the seabed, to capture mostly Octopus Vulgaris. The loss of gears due to extreme seas state, bad weather and/or fishing-related unforeseen circumstances, cause the octopus pots contaminating beaches and dunes, where they are transported by sea current, waves and wind actions. This work i) gives an overview of the use of octopus pot on fisheries, ii) analyses the spatial distribution of this item on the coast, and iii) discusses the potential measures for tackling the octopus pot plague on the North Atlantic Iberian coast. Overall, it is urgent to promote conducive policies and strategies for a sustainable waste management of octopus pots, based on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle hierarchical framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Andriolo
- INESC Coimbra, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Polo 2, 3030 - 290 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Gil Gonçalves
- INESC Coimbra, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Polo 2, 3030 - 290 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Department of Mathematics, Coimbra, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Landrigan PJ, Raps H, Cropper M, Bald C, Brunner M, Canonizado EM, Charles D, Chiles TC, Donohue MJ, Enck J, Fenichel P, Fleming LE, Ferrier-Pages C, Fordham R, Gozt A, Griffin C, Hahn ME, Haryanto B, Hixson R, Ianelli H, James BD, Kumar P, Laborde A, Law KL, Martin K, Mu J, Mulders Y, Mustapha A, Niu J, Pahl S, Park Y, Pedrotti ML, Pitt JA, Ruchirawat M, Seewoo BJ, Spring M, Stegeman JJ, Suk W, Symeonides C, Takada H, Thompson RC, Vicini A, Wang Z, Whitman E, Wirth D, Wolff M, Yousuf AK, Dunlop S. The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. Ann Glob Health 2023; 89:23. [PMID: 36969097 PMCID: PMC10038118 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Plastics have conveyed great benefits to humanity and made possible some of the most significant advances of modern civilization in fields as diverse as medicine, electronics, aerospace, construction, food packaging, and sports. It is now clear, however, that plastics are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth's environment. These harms occur at every stage of the plastic life cycle, from extraction of the coal, oil, and gas that are its main feedstocks through to ultimate disposal into the environment. The extent of these harms not been systematically assessed, their magnitude not fully quantified, and their economic costs not comprehensively counted. Goals The goals of this Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics' impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations-the poor, minorities, and the world's children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives. Report Structure This Commission report contains seven Sections. Following an Introduction, Section 2 presents a narrative review of the processes involved in plastic production, use, and disposal and notes the hazards to human health and the environment associated with each of these stages. Section 3 describes plastics' impacts on the ocean and notes the potential for plastic in the ocean to enter the marine food web and result in human exposure. Section 4 details plastics' impacts on human health. Section 5 presents a first-order estimate of plastics' health-related economic costs. Section 6 examines the intersection between plastic, social inequity, and environmental injustice. Section 7 presents the Commission's findings and recommendations. Plastics Plastics are complex, highly heterogeneous, synthetic chemical materials. Over 98% of plastics are produced from fossil carbon- coal, oil and gas. Plastics are comprised of a carbon-based polymer backbone and thousands of additional chemicals that are incorporated into polymers to convey specific properties such as color, flexibility, stability, water repellence, flame retardation, and ultraviolet resistance. Many of these added chemicals are highly toxic. They include carcinogens, neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate flame retardants. They are integral components of plastic and are responsible for many of plastics' harms to human health and the environment.Global plastic production has increased almost exponentially since World War II, and in this time more than 8,300 megatons (Mt) of plastic have been manufactured. Annual production volume has grown from under 2 Mt in 1950 to 460 Mt in 2019, a 230-fold increase, and is on track to triple by 2060. More than half of all plastic ever made has been produced since 2002. Single-use plastics account for 35-40% of current plastic production and represent the most rapidly growing segment of plastic manufacture.Explosive recent growth in plastics production reflects a deliberate pivot by the integrated multinational fossil-carbon corporations that produce coal, oil and gas and that also manufacture plastics. These corporations are reducing their production of fossil fuels and increasing plastics manufacture. The two principal factors responsible for this pivot are decreasing global demand for carbon-based fuels due to increases in 'green' energy, and massive expansion of oil and gas production due to fracking.Plastic manufacture is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to climate change. At present, plastic production is responsible for an estimated 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the contribution of Brazil. This fraction is projected to increase to 4.5% by 2060 if current trends continue unchecked. Plastic Life Cycle The plastic life cycle has three phases: production, use, and disposal. In production, carbon feedstocks-coal, gas, and oil-are transformed through energy-intensive, catalytic processes into a vast array of products. Plastic use occurs in every aspect of modern life and results in widespread human exposure to the chemicals contained in plastic. Single-use plastics constitute the largest portion of current use, followed by synthetic fibers and construction.Plastic disposal is highly inefficient, with recovery and recycling rates below 10% globally. The result is that an estimated 22 Mt of plastic waste enters the environment each year, much of it single-use plastic and are added to the more than 6 gigatons of plastic waste that have accumulated since 1950. Strategies for disposal of plastic waste include controlled and uncontrolled landfilling, open burning, thermal conversion, and export. Vast quantities of plastic waste are exported each year from high-income to low-income countries, where it accumulates in landfills, pollutes air and water, degrades vital ecosystems, befouls beaches and estuaries, and harms human health-environmental injustice on a global scale. Plastic-laden e-waste is particularly problematic. Environmental Findings Plastics and plastic-associated chemicals are responsible for widespread pollution. They contaminate aquatic (marine and freshwater), terrestrial, and atmospheric environments globally. The ocean is the ultimate destination for much plastic, and plastics are found throughout the ocean, including coastal regions, the sea surface, the deep sea, and polar sea ice. Many plastics appear to resist breakdown in the ocean and could persist in the global environment for decades. Macro- and micro-plastic particles have been identified in hundreds of marine species in all major taxa, including species consumed by humans. Trophic transfer of microplastic particles and the chemicals within them has been demonstrated. Although microplastic particles themselves (>10 µm) appear not to undergo biomagnification, hydrophobic plastic-associated chemicals bioaccumulate in marine animals and biomagnify in marine food webs. The amounts and fates of smaller microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs <10 µm) in aquatic environments are poorly understood, but the potential for harm is worrying given their mobility in biological systems. Adverse environmental impacts of plastic pollution occur at multiple levels from molecular and biochemical to population and ecosystem. MNP contamination of seafood results in direct, though not well quantified, human exposure to plastics and plastic-associated chemicals. Marine plastic pollution endangers the ocean ecosystems upon which all humanity depends for food, oxygen, livelihood, and well-being. Human Health Findings Coal miners, oil workers and gas field workers who extract fossil carbon feedstocks for plastic production suffer increased mortality from traumatic injury, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Plastic production workers are at increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, hepatic angiosarcoma, brain cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, neurotoxic injury, and decreased fertility. Workers producing plastic textiles die of bladder cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and interstitial lung disease at increased rates. Plastic recycling workers have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, toxic metal poisoning, neuropathy, and lung cancer. Residents of "fenceline" communities adjacent to plastic production and waste disposal sites experience increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.During use and also in disposal, plastics release toxic chemicals including additives and residual monomers into the environment and into people. National biomonitoring surveys in the USA document population-wide exposures to these chemicals. Plastic additives disrupt endocrine function and increase risk for premature births, neurodevelopmental disorders, male reproductive birth defects, infertility, obesity, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and cancers. Chemical-laden MNPs formed through the environmental degradation of plastic waste can enter living organisms, including humans. Emerging, albeit still incomplete evidence indicates that MNPs may cause toxicity due to their physical and toxicological effects as well as by acting as vectors that transport toxic chemicals and bacterial pathogens into tissues and cells.Infants in the womb and young children are two populations at particularly high risk of plastic-related health effects. Because of the exquisite sensitivity of early development to hazardous chemicals and children's unique patterns of exposure, plastic-associated exposures are linked to increased risks of prematurity, stillbirth, low birth weight, birth defects of the reproductive organs, neurodevelopmental impairment, impaired lung growth, and childhood cancer. Early-life exposures to plastic-associated chemicals also increase the risk of multiple non-communicable diseases later in life. Economic Findings Plastic's harms to human health result in significant economic costs. We estimate that in 2015 the health-related costs of plastic production exceeded $250 billion (2015 Int$) globally, and that in the USA alone the health costs of disease and disability caused by the plastic-associated chemicals PBDE, BPA and DEHP exceeded $920 billion (2015 Int$). Plastic production results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to 1.96 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) annually. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) social cost of carbon metric, we estimate the annual costs of these GHG emissions to be $341 billion (2015 Int$).These costs, large as they are, almost certainly underestimate the full economic losses resulting from plastics' negative impacts on human health and the global environment. All of plastics' economic costs-and also its social costs-are externalized by the petrochemical and plastic manufacturing industry and are borne by citizens, taxpayers, and governments in countries around the world without compensation. Social Justice Findings The adverse effects of plastics and plastic pollution on human health, the economy and the environment are not evenly distributed. They disproportionately affect poor, disempowered, and marginalized populations such as workers, racial and ethnic minorities, "fenceline" communities, Indigenous groups, women, and children, all of whom had little to do with creating the current plastics crisis and lack the political influence or the resources to address it. Plastics' harmful impacts across its life cycle are most keenly felt in the Global South, in small island states, and in disenfranchised areas in the Global North. Social and environmental justice (SEJ) principles require reversal of these inequitable burdens to ensure that no group bears a disproportionate share of plastics' negative impacts and that those who benefit economically from plastic bear their fair share of its currently externalized costs. Conclusions It is now clear that current patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harms to human health, the environment, and the economy as well as for deep societal injustices.The main driver of these worsening harms is an almost exponential and still accelerating increase in global plastic production. Plastics' harms are further magnified by low rates of recovery and recycling and by the long persistence of plastic waste in the environment.The thousands of chemicals in plastics-monomers, additives, processing agents, and non-intentionally added substances-include amongst their number known human carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals are responsible for many of plastics' known harms to human and planetary health. The chemicals leach out of plastics, enter the environment, cause pollution, and result in human exposure and disease. All efforts to reduce plastics' hazards must address the hazards of plastic-associated chemicals. Recommendations To protect human and planetary health, especially the health of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and put the world on track to end plastic pollution by 2040, this Commission supports urgent adoption by the world's nations of a strong and comprehensive Global Plastics Treaty in accord with the mandate set forth in the March 2022 resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).International measures such as a Global Plastics Treaty are needed to curb plastic production and pollution, because the harms to human health and the environment caused by plastics, plastic-associated chemicals and plastic waste transcend national boundaries, are planetary in their scale, and have disproportionate impacts on the health and well-being of people in the world's poorest nations. Effective implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty will require that international action be coordinated and complemented by interventions at the national, regional, and local levels.This Commission urges that a cap on global plastic production with targets, timetables, and national contributions be a central provision of the Global Plastics Treaty. We recommend inclusion of the following additional provisions:The Treaty needs to extend beyond microplastics and marine litter to include all of the many thousands of chemicals incorporated into plastics.The Treaty needs to include a provision banning or severely restricting manufacture and use of unnecessary, avoidable, and problematic plastic items, especially single-use items such as manufactured plastic microbeads.The Treaty needs to include requirements on extended producer responsibility (EPR) that make fossil carbon producers, plastic producers, and the manufacturers of plastic products legally and financially responsible for the safety and end-of-life management of all the materials they produce and sell.The Treaty needs to mandate reductions in the chemical complexity of plastic products; health-protective standards for plastics and plastic additives; a requirement for use of sustainable non-toxic materials; full disclosure of all components; and traceability of components. International cooperation will be essential to implementing and enforcing these standards.The Treaty needs to include SEJ remedies at each stage of the plastic life cycle designed to fill gaps in community knowledge and advance both distributional and procedural equity.This Commission encourages inclusion in the Global Plastic Treaty of a provision calling for exploration of listing at least some plastic polymers as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention.This Commission encourages a strong interface between the Global Plastics Treaty and the Basel and London Conventions to enhance management of hazardous plastic waste and slow current massive exports of plastic waste into the world's least-developed countries.This Commission recommends the creation of a Permanent Science Policy Advisory Body to guide the Treaty's implementation. The main priorities of this Body would be to guide Member States and other stakeholders in evaluating which solutions are most effective in reducing plastic consumption, enhancing plastic waste recovery and recycling, and curbing the generation of plastic waste. This Body could also assess trade-offs among these solutions and evaluate safer alternatives to current plastics. It could monitor the transnational export of plastic waste. It could coordinate robust oceanic-, land-, and air-based MNP monitoring programs.This Commission recommends urgent investment by national governments in research into solutions to the global plastic crisis. This research will need to determine which solutions are most effective and cost-effective in the context of particular countries and assess the risks and benefits of proposed solutions. Oceanographic and environmental research is needed to better measure concentrations and impacts of plastics <10 µm and understand their distribution and fate in the global environment. Biomedical research is needed to elucidate the human health impacts of plastics, especially MNPs. Summary This Commission finds that plastics are both a boon to humanity and a stealth threat to human and planetary health. Plastics convey enormous benefits, but current linear patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal that pay little attention to sustainable design or safe materials and a near absence of recovery, reuse, and recycling are responsible for grave harms to health, widespread environmental damage, great economic costs, and deep societal injustices. These harms are rapidly worsening.While there remain gaps in knowledge about plastics' harms and uncertainties about their full magnitude, the evidence available today demonstrates unequivocally that these impacts are great and that they will increase in severity in the absence of urgent and effective intervention at global scale. Manufacture and use of essential plastics may continue. However, reckless increases in plastic production, and especially increases in the manufacture of an ever-increasing array of unnecessary single-use plastic products, need to be curbed.Global intervention against the plastic crisis is needed now because the costs of failure to act will be immense.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Landrigan
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Hervé Raps
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Maureen Cropper
- Economics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, US
| | - Caroline Bald
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Fenichel
- Université Côte d’Azur
- Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire de Nice, FR
| | - Lora E. Fleming
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, UK
| | | | | | | | - Carly Griffin
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Mark E. Hahn
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
- Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, US
| | - Budi Haryanto
- Department of Environmental Health, Universitas Indonesia, ID
- Research Center for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, ID
| | - Richard Hixson
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Hannah Ianelli
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Bryan D. James
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | | | - Amalia Laborde
- Department of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, UY
| | | | - Keith Martin
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health, US
| | - Jenna Mu
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | - Adetoun Mustapha
- Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria
- Lead City University, NG
| | - Jia Niu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, US
| | - Sabine Pahl
- University of Vienna, Austria
- University of Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Maria-Luiza Pedrotti
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche sur mer (LOV), Sorbonne Université, FR
| | | | | | - Bhedita Jaya Seewoo
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
| | | | - John J. Stegeman
- Biology Department and Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | - William Suk
- Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, US
| | | | - Hideshige Takada
- Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, JP
| | | | | | - Zhanyun Wang
- Technology and Society Laboratory, WEmpa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials and Technology, CH
| | - Ella Whitman
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | - Aroub K. Yousuf
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Sarah Dunlop
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Weideman EA, Perold V, Donnarumma V, Suaria G, Ryan PG. Proximity to coast and major rivers influence the density of floating microplastics and other litter in east African coastal waters. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 188:114644. [PMID: 36764144 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Floating anthropogenic litter occurs in all ocean basins, yet little is known about their distribution and abundance in the coastal waters off east Africa. Neuston net and bulk water sampling shows that meso- and micro-litter (8567 ± 19,684 items∙km-2, 44 ± 195 g∙km-2) and microfibres (2.4 ± 2.6 fibres∙L-1) are pervasive pollutants off the coasts of Tanzania and northern Mozambique, with higher litter loads off Tanzania. Densities of meso- and micro-litter at the start of the rainy season were greater close to the coast and to major river mouths, suggesting that much litter likely originates on land. However, the mass of litter increased with distance from the six major coastal cities. By number, 95% of meso- and micro-litter was plastic, but only 6% of microfibres. Our results highlight the need to reduce plastic use and improve solid waste management in the region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor A Weideman
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
| | - Vonica Perold
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Vincenzo Donnarumma
- CNR-ISMAR (Institute of Marine Sciences - National Research Council), Lerici 19032, La Spezia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Suaria
- CNR-ISMAR (Institute of Marine Sciences - National Research Council), Lerici 19032, La Spezia, Italy
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Veerasingam S, Chatting M, Asim FS, Al-Khayat J, Vethamony P. Detection and assessment of marine litter in an uninhabited island, Arabian Gulf: A case study with conventional and machine learning approaches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156064. [PMID: 35597358 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In 2018, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Qatar removed 90 t of marine litter (ML) from the Ras Rakan Island (RRI), a remote uninhabited island in the Arabian Gulf (hereinafter referred to as Gulf). To identify the sources of ML and understand the post-cleaning ML accumulation rate, a ML survey was conducted around RRI in 2019. A total of 1341 ML items were found around RRI with an average abundance of 3.4 items/m2. In addition, a machine learning approach was applied to extract the quantity and types of ML from 10,400 images from the sampling sites (beaches) to make the ML clean-up process and monitoring effort more efficient. The image coordinates of ML objects were used to train an object detection algorithm 'You Only Look Once (YOLO-v5)' to automatically detect ML from video data. An image enhancement technique was performed to improve the quality of unclear images. The best performing YOLO-v5 model had 90% of mean Average Precision (mAP) while maintaining near real-time processing speeds at 2 ms/image. The abundance of ML around RRI was higher than that found on the coast of mainland Qatar. 61.5% of the sampling locations are considered as 'extremely dirty' based on Clean Coast Index. Windward beaches had higher ML concentrations (derived from neighbouring countries) than the leeward beaches. Like RRI, most of the uninhabited islands in the Arabian Gulf are home to many seabirds and sea turtles, and could act as major sinks for ML deposition. Therefore, implementation of this machine learning technique to all islands allows estimating and mitigating the load of ML for achieving a sustaining and a cleaner ocean.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Veerasingam
- UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences, Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Mark Chatting
- UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences, Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Fahad Syed Asim
- UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences, Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Jassim Al-Khayat
- UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences, Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - P Vethamony
- UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences, Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Properties and Recyclability of Abandoned Fishing Net-Based Plastic Debris. Catalysts 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/catal12090948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plastics in marine environments undergo molecular degradation via biocatalytic and photocatalytic mechanisms. Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) damages marine and coastal environments as well as plant and animal species. This article reviews ghost fishing, ecological damage from marine plastics, recommended recycling practices and alternative usages of derelict fishing gear. Material mixing techniques are proposed to counteract the effect of biocatalytic and photocatalytic biodegradation within the context of plastic fish net recycling. There is a need for a new and rapid “multidimensional molecular characterization” technology to quantify, at a batch level, the extent of photocatalytic or biocatalytic degradation experienced on each recovered fishing net, comprising molecular weight alteration, chemical functional group polydispersity and contaminant presence. Rapid multidimensional molecular characterization enables optimized conventional material mixing of recovered fishing nets. In this way, economically attractive social return schemes can be introduced for used fishing nets, providing an economic incentive for fishers to return conventional fishing nets for recycling.
Collapse
|
13
|
Hoare V, Atchison Balmond N, Hays GC, Jones R, Koldewey H, Laloë JO, Levy E, Llewellyn F, Morrall H, Esteban N. Spatial variation of plastic debris on important turtle nesting beaches of the remote Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 181:113868. [PMID: 35835050 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We report Anthropogenic Marine Debris (AMD) in Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, globally amongst the most isolated island groups. AMD on 14 island beaches in five atolls were surveyed in 2019 using two techniques: Marine Debris Tracker (MDT) along littoral vegetation and photoquadrats in open beach. Over 60 % of AMD in both beach zones was composed of plastics, especially bottles and fragments (mean = 44.9 %, 27.2 %, range = 16.5-73.2 %, 4.8-55.9 % respectively in vegetation; mean = 28.7 %, 31.5 %, range = 17.7-40.7 %, 11.6-60.0 % respectively in open beach). The density of plastic debris in littoral vegetation (MDT data: 1995 bottles, 3328 fragments per 100 m2) was 10-fold greater than in open beach (photoquadrat data: 184 bottles, 106 fragments per 100 m2). Significant latitudinal variation in vegetation AMD occurred (8-fold greater in southern atolls, p = 0.006). AMD varied within island zones: most debris observed on oceanside beaches (oceanside vs lagoon, W = 365, p < 0.001; ocean vs island tip, W = 107, p = 0.034). Standardisation of surveys using the open-source MDT App is recommended. Debris accumulation hotspots overlapped with sea turtle nesting habitat, guiding future beach clean-up prioritisation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V Hoare
- Swansea University, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK; Imperial College London, Centre for Environmental Policy, London SW7 1NE, UK
| | - N Atchison Balmond
- British Indian Ocean Territory, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH, UK
| | - G C Hays
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - R Jones
- Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - H Koldewey
- Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK; Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - J-O Laloë
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - E Levy
- Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - F Llewellyn
- Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - H Morrall
- Natural England, Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PX, UK
| | - N Esteban
- Swansea University, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Are Tourists Willing to Pay for a Marine Litter-Free Coastal Attraction to Achieve Tourism Sustainability? Case Study of Libong Island, Thailand. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14084808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Coastal areas around the world are under increasing environmental pressures from marine litter. In particular, tourism in coastal tourist areas suffers with waste littering on the coast, as well as in the water. Therefore, substantial costs are required for the handling of marine litter in order to achieve sustainable development in the tourism sector. The introduction of an entrance fee as an economic tool is a feasible way to provide alternative financing, in addition to limited government funding. The objective of this study was to estimate tourists’ willingness to pay (WTP) for visiting a marine litter-free coastal attraction, and examine the factors affecting the WTP. A questionnaire was employed using a single-bound dichotomous choice method on Libong Island, Thailand, between September and December 2020. A logistic model was used to estimate the WTP of the 1655 respondents. The mean WTP obtained is THB 92.24 per person per visit (approximately USD 3). The expected benefit of charging an entrance fee is THB 27.52 million (USD 0.88 million) for 2019. The factors influencing WTP are bid amount, age, education, monthly income, marine litter perception, and environmentally responsible behaviors. Associated initiatives were recommended to achieve coastal destination sustainability, including regular clean-up operations at beaches, seagrass beds, and surrounding waters; the placement and maintenance of litter facilities; and the promotion of marine litter awareness and environmentally responsible behaviors.
Collapse
|
15
|
Pritchard AM, Sanchez CL, Bunbury N, Burt AJ, Currie JC, Doak N, Fleischer-Dogley F, Metcalfe K, Mortimer JA, Richards H, van de Crommenacker J, Godley BJ. Green turtle population recovery at Aldabra Atoll continues after 50 yr of protection. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2022. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Green turtles Chelonia mydas have been subject to high levels of anthropogenic exploitation, with harvesting at their nesting sites especially pronounced throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to worldwide declines. Due to their delayed sexual maturity, long-term protection and monitoring is crucial to allow and accurately demonstrate population recovery. Subsequent to their exploitation, Aldabra Atoll (Republic of Seychelles) has offered the longest continuous protection for nesting green turtles anywhere in the Western Indian Ocean, beginning in 1968. Here, we document the continuing recovery of that population by estimating clutch production within 12 mo nesting seasons over 50 yr of monitoring. An estimated mean of 15297 clutches were laid annually between December 2014 and November 2019. This represents an increase of 173% since Aldabra’s intensive monitoring programme was initiated in 1980, and 410-�665% since 1968. Clutch number increases were recorded at all but 1 of 6 monitored beach groups around the atoll but were most pronounced at Settlement Beach, where exploitation of nesting females was historically most intense. Seasonality data since 2000 showed a year-round nesting season, with elevated activity in April-June peaking on average in May, and a potential shift to later in the year over time. This study highlights the considerable contribution of Aldabra Atoll to regional green turtle numbers and the benefit of long-term protection and monitoring at what can be considered a global reference site for this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- AM Pritchard
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - CL Sanchez
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - N Bunbury
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - AJ Burt
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
- Department of Plant Sciences, Oxford University, South Parks Road, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - JC Currie
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape 7735, South Africa
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, 6031, South Africa
| | - N Doak
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
| | - F Fleischer-Dogley
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
| | - K Metcalfe
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - JA Mortimer
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - H Richards
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
| | - J van de Crommenacker
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, PO Box 853, Seychelles
| | - BJ Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ford HV, Jones NH, Davies AJ, Godley BJ, Jambeck JR, Napper IE, Suckling CC, Williams GJ, Woodall LC, Koldewey HJ. The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150392. [PMID: 34583073 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution and climate change have commonly been treated as two separate issues and sometimes are even seen as competing. Here we present an alternative view that these two issues are fundamentally linked. Primarily, we explore how plastic contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the beginning to the end of its life cycle. Secondly, we show that more extreme weather and floods associated with climate change, will exacerbate the spread of plastic in the natural environment. Finally, both issues occur throughout the marine environment, and we show that ecosystems and species can be particularly vulnerable to both, such as coral reefs that face disease spread through plastic pollution and climate-driven increased global bleaching events. A Web of Science search showed climate change and plastic pollution studies in the ocean are often siloed, with only 0.4% of the articles examining both stressors simultaneously. We also identified a lack of regional and industry-specific life cycle analysis data for comparisons in relative GHG contributions by materials and products. Overall, we suggest that rather than debate over the relative importance of climate change or marine plastic pollution, a more productive course would be to determine the linking factors between the two and identify solutions to combat both crises.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen V Ford
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK.
| | - Nia H Jones
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Andrew J Davies
- Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Road University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Brendan J Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Jenna R Jambeck
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, GA 30602, Athens, USA
| | - Imogen E Napper
- International Marine Litter Research Unit, School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Coleen C Suckling
- Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | | | - Lucy C Woodall
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK; Nekton, Science Park, Begbroke, Oxford, OX5 1PF, UK
| | - Heather J Koldewey
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK; Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Macias D, Stips A, Hanke G. Model based estimate of transboundary litter pollution on Mediterranean coasts. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 175:113121. [PMID: 34839956 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plastic litter pollution is one of the major concerns for the health of marine ecosystems worldwide. This pervasive form of pollution affects all oceans and seas and it's interacting with multiple levels of the marine food webs. In the European context, several pieces of legislation try to fight against this pervasive and ubiquitous form of pollution. Recently, EU Member States have agreed to a maximum threshold of litter items per coast length (20 items/100 m coastline). One major concern among stakeholders to reach this consensus was the transboundary litter, as measures need to be implemented in the country of origin. Henceforth, a solid method to estimate the amounts of the transboundary litter to a given Member State's coasts is needed. In this contribution, we use a combination of hydrodynamic and Lagrangian models for the Mediterranean Sea in order to understand the origin of coastal litter. Simulations show that the amount of transboundary litter in Mediterranean countries could be as large as 30% although both regional and seasonal differences could be significant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Macias
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Av. Republica Saharaui, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Adolf Stips
- Joint Research Center, European Commission, Via E. Fermi, 2749, 21027 Ispra, Varese, Italy
| | - Georg Hanke
- Joint Research Center, European Commission, Via E. Fermi, 2749, 21027 Ispra, Varese, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ryan PG, Weideman EA, Perold V, Hofmeyr G, Connan M. Message in a bottle: Assessing the sources and origins of beach litter to tackle marine pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 288:117729. [PMID: 34245982 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Beaches are key attractions for tourism and recreation, and considerable effort is made to keep beaches clean, yet many beaches still have substantial litter loads. Lasting solutions to reduce the amounts of marine litter require an understanding of litter sources. We collected bottles and other single-use containers at 32 sites around the South African coast to infer their sources based on their age and country of manufacture. Bottle densities varied greatly among beaches (8-450 bottles·km-1), depending on proximity to local urban centres and beach cleaning frequency. Most bottles were plastic, despite well-developed recycling initiatives for PET and HDPE bottles in South Africa. Street litter was dominated by bottles made in South Africa (99%), but foreign-manufactured bottles comprised up to 74% of bottles at some beaches, with an increase from urban (4%) through semi-urban (24%) to remote beaches (45%). Most foreign bottles were PET drink bottles from China and other Asian countries, followed by South America and Europe, with little regional variation in the contribution from these sources. This fact, coupled with their recent manufacture dates (mainly <2 years old), indicates that most foreign PET drink bottles are dumped illegally from ships. By comparison, foreign HDPE bottles were more common along the southeast coast of South Africa than along the west coast, consistent with many of these bottles arriving by long-distance drift across the Indian Ocean from southeast Asia. The most common country of origin for these bottles was Indonesia, and most newly-arrived HDPE bottles were 4-6 years old. To tackle beach litter in South Africa we need to greatly reduce plastic leakage from land-based sources, both locally and in southeast Asia, as well as improve measures to prevent the illegal dumping of plastics and other persistent wastes from ships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Eleanor A Weideman
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Vonica Perold
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Greg Hofmeyr
- Port Elizabeth Museum at Bayworld, Humewood, 6013, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Maëlle Connan
- Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chenillat F, Huck T, Maes C, Grima N, Blanke B. Fate of floating plastic debris released along the coasts in a global ocean model. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 165:112116. [PMID: 33581569 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Marine plastic pollution is a global issue, from the shores to the open ocean. Understanding the pathway and fate of plastic debris is fundamental to manage and reduce plastic pollution. Here, the fate of floating plastic pollution discharged along the coasts is studied by comparing two sources, one based on river discharges and the other on mismanaged waste from coastal populations, using a Lagrangian numerical analysis in a global ocean circulation model. About 1/3 of the particles end up in the open ocean and 2/3 on beaches. The input scenario largely influences the accumulation of particles toward the main subtropical convergence zones, with the South Pacific and North Atlantic being mostly fed by the coastal population inputs. The input scenario influences the number of beached particles that end up in several coastal areas. Beaching occurs mainly locally, although a significant number of particles travel long distances, allowing for global connectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Chenillat
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, IUEM, Plouzané, France.
| | - Thierry Huck
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, IUEM, Plouzané, France
| | - Christophe Maes
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, IUEM, Plouzané, France
| | - Nicolas Grima
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, IUEM, Plouzané, France
| | - Bruno Blanke
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (UMR 6523 LOPS), Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, IUEM, Plouzané, France
| |
Collapse
|