Plastic Pollution
Classification of plastics.a
aAdapted from Hartmann et al. in Environmental Science and Technology [24].
Macroplastics: plastics > 1 cm in at least one dimension
Mesoplastics: plastics 1 to <10 mm
Microplastics: plastics with dimensions between 1 and <1000 µm
Primary microplastics: originally made to be micronized, usually for cosmetics
Secondary microplastics: broken down from macroplastics in the environment
Nanoplastics: plastics 1 to <1000 nm
Plastic pollution and global heating are caught in a “vicious circle” of one feeding the other, a new study by researchers from Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology has found.
The mutually reinforcing relationship increases global heating, plastic waste, the degradation of materials and the leaching of chemicals into the biosphere.
Rising global temperatures will cause everyday plastics to deteriorate more quickly, resulting in increased demand. Producing additional plastic products will lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, driving up temperatures, explained Xinfeng Wei, a polymeric materials researcher at KTH.
Plastics were responsible for 3.4 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 — roughly 1.8 billion tons — primarily due to their conversion from fossil fuels and their production, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said. That amount is predicted to double by 2060.
The feedback loop described by the researchers links the greenhouse gas emissions with moisture, heat and the weakened structural bonds of polymers like rubber and plastic that are formed from chains of large molecules.
In order to address the dual challenges of climate change and plastic pollution, the researchers encouraged a mobilization of efforts in all sectors of the lifecycle of plastics.
16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment
cosmetic product containing ingredients commonly used in shampoo and conditioner; hairspray and dyes; hygiene products; foundation and primer; lotions; fragrances such as perfumes and laundry powders
VOICE ABOVE WATER is the story of a 90-year-old Balinese fisherman who can no longer fish because of the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean, instead he collects trash in hopes of being able to fish again. The story is a glimpse into how one human is using his resources to make a difference and a reminder that if we all play our part we can accomplish something much greater than ourselves.
<<< Good summary info and links
Journal of American Medical Association
Plastic particles in bottled water
Aotearoa Impacts and Mitigation of Microplastics (AIM²)
National research programme which aims to determine the impacts of microplastics in New Zealand.
https://www.esr.cri.nz/expertise/water-environment/microplastics
They have in the past had presence at public events with organisations like Ecomatters and Seaweek (https://seaweek.org.nz/news/microplastics-nga-korero-webinar-recap)
You could get in touch with ESR to see if there are any other info sessions coming up.Litter Intelligence
https://litterintelligence.org/
National litter monitoring programme, focusing on larger pieces of plastic rubbish from which MPs come from. While it's not directly about MPs, most info that is is based in academic data that is hard for public to access, so Litter Intelligence good inbetween for litter education geared toward schools.Dr Amanda Valois - NZ scientist who has carried out MP research alongside community/volunteer citizen science, could be a good option for giving direction on how the school could get involved with MP monitoring, research, outcomes.
https://www.nzappa.org/user/avalois/
amanda.valois@niwa.co.nz
Below are some research papers they could take a look at. Let me know if you're looking for more public access kind of info, like websites.
James H. Bridson, Meeta Patel, Anita Lewis, Sally Gaw, Kate Parker,
Microplastic contamination in Auckland (New Zealand) beach sediments,
Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 151, 2020, 110867, ISSN 0025-326X,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110867.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X19310239)
This study has a couple of sampling sites really close to Rosmini College, so the local data could be really interesting to them. I attach a copy of the article and sample location map in the supporting data doc, since the school might not have access to the paper via ScienceDirect.Hale, R.C., Seeley, M.E., La Guardia, M.J., Mai, L., Zeng, E.Y., 2020. A Global Perspective on Microplastics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 125.. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jc014719
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/C96PGYU9PJZCHEHWC6I4?target=10.1029/2018JC014719
Good overview on MPs.Issac, M.N., Kandasubramanian, B. Effect of microplastics in water and aquatic systems. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 19544–19562 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13184-2
Padervand, M., Lichtfouse, E., Robert, D. et al. Removal of microplastics from the environment. A review. Environ Chem Lett 18, 807–828 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-020-00983-1
Joana Correia Prata, João P. da Costa, Isabel Lopes, Armando C. Duarte, Teresa Rocha-Santos,
Environmental exposure to microplastics: An overview on possible human health effects, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 702, 2020, 134455, ISSN 0048-9697,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134455.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719344468)