We are well overdue for a global solution to microplastic pollution

20/09/2024

The Australian author of a global call to action on microplastics after 20 years of research says there is "no longer time for excuses". The paper, published in the journal Science, draws on 20 years of research that has revealed 'extensive evidence of substantial widescale environmental accumulation' of microplastics. The authors call for global action to address microplastic pollution.

According to the paper, microplastics are widely defined as solid plastic particles up to 5mm in size and are nearly impossible to remove once dispersed. They have been found in more than 1300 animal species, with unknown long-term impacts on human health.

Co-author of the paper, Dr Karen Raubenheimer from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at the University of Wollongong, said that contrary to traditional thinking, the issue of plastic pollution is not just a marine problem.

"Plastic pollution is everywhere now. It doesn't stop at the boundary between land and ocean, and it is now in our bodies. We urgently need a harmonised approach to address the problem at source. This is an incredibly complex issue, one that requires a collective and global approach. No country or ecosystem is immune and no one country can solve this alone," she said.

The issue of dealing with plastic pollution is complicated because of the way that plastic breaks down. Speaking in a New Zealand Science Media Centre Expert Reaction, Dr Joel Rindelaub from the University of Auckland explained that when plastics degrade, they don't simply disappear, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces, such as microplastics.

"Unfortunately, mitigation strategies have not developed to a level that can adequately address environmental plastic pollution," he said, suggesting that many researchers believe the most effective strategy would be to focus on preventative measures.

The authors of the 20-year review urge that policy action does not need to wait and measures should be taken now to reduce plastic pollution. They suggest bans on unnecessary and avoidable plastic products and applications, better product design, and changes in behaviour along supply chains.

Professor Sally Gaw, Director of Environmental Science at the University of Canterbury drew a parallel to the approach taken with other dangerous substances to human health and the environment, approaches which integrate science, economics, and social strategies.

"We have done this before to address other persistent and toxic pollutants including organochlorine pesticides and asbestos. We can and must do this again," she told the SMC NZ.

According to Dr Erin Leitao from the University of Auckland, the research emphasises the importance of plastic production techniques that consider the entire lifetime of the product.

"A cradle-to-grave approach to manufacturing is critical moving forward, alongside eliminating all non-essential uses of plastics," she said.
Dr Raubenheimer urged world leaders to come together to address the issue of microplastics now. "There is no longer time for excuses. Microplastics have been found in every corner of the globe, in every ecosystem, in the bodies of wildlife and humans. We are well overdue for a global solution," she said.

NOFF adds that industrial open pen salmon farming contributes to plastic marine debris and microplastics in our waterways, and that farmed salmon can ingest microplastics from their surrounding pens, and from their feed pellets.