The fate of missing ocean plastics: Are they just a marine environmental problem? DOI Creative Commons
Atsuhiko Isobe, Shinsuke Iwasaki

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 825, P. 153935 - 153935

Published: Feb. 19, 2022

The fate of mismanaged plastic waste released into oceans (ocean plastics) remains a topic debate, where the mass imbalance between leakage and abundance in world's appears paradoxical. In present study, budget for ocean was estimated based on combination numerical particle tracking linear mass-balance models, both validated using worldwide dataset. Integrating time series macroplastic emission from rivers fisheries industry over period 1961-2017 yielded total 25.3 million metric tonnes (MMT). Macro- microplastics currently floating oceans, beaches, each account 3-4% plastics emitted to date. Overall, 23.4% were macroplastics beaches. Meanwhile, 66.7% heavier than seawater or removed upper which are difficult monitor under current observation frameworks adopted worldwide. However, study suggested that whole accounted only 4.7% (542.2 MMT) generated 1960s today.

Language: Английский

The global threat from plastic pollution DOI
Matthew MacLeod, Hans Peter H. Arp, Mine Banu Tekman

et al.

Science, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 373(6550), P. 61 - 65

Published: July 1, 2021

Plastic pollution accumulating in an area of the environment is considered “poorly reversible” if natural mineralization processes occurring there are slow and engineered remediation solutions improbable. Should negative outcomes these areas arise as a consequence plastic pollution, they will be practically irreversible. Potential impacts from poorly reversible include changes to carbon nutrient cycles; habitat within soils, sediments, aquatic ecosystems; co-occurring biological on endangered or keystone species; ecotoxicity; related societal impacts. The rational response global threat posed by rapidly reduce emissions through reductions consumption virgin materials, along with internationally coordinated strategies for waste management.

Language: Английский

Citations

1835
Understanding plastic degradation and microplastic formation in the environment: A review DOI
Kai Zhang, Amir Hossein Hamidian, Aleksandra Tubić

et al.

Environmental Pollution, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 274, P. 116554 - 116554

Published: Jan. 22, 2021

Language: Английский

Citations

1078
Plastic pollution in the Arctic DOI Creative Commons
Melanie Bergmann, F. Collard, Joan Fabrés

et al.

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 3(5), P. 323 - 337

Published: April 5, 2022

Plastic pollution is now pervasive in the Arctic, even areas with no apparent human activity, such as deep seafloor. In this Review, we describe sources and impacts of Arctic plastic pollution, including debris microplastics, which have infiltrated terrestrial aquatic systems, cryosphere atmosphere. Although some from local — fisheries, landfills, wastewater offshore industrial activity distant regions are a substantial source, carried lower latitudes to by ocean currents, atmospheric transport rivers. Once accumulates certain affects ecosystems. Population-level information sparse, but interactions entanglements ingestion marine been recorded for mammals, seabirds, fish invertebrates. Early evidence also suggests between climate change pollution. Even if emissions halted today, fragmentation legacy will lead an increasing microplastic burden ecosystems, already under pressure anthropogenic warming. Mitigation urgently needed at both regional international levels decrease production utilization, achieve circularity optimize solid waste management treatment. microplastics ubiquitous Arctic. This Review describes sources, distribution consequences calls immediate action mitigate further ecosystem impact.

Language: Английский

Citations

413
Plastic Waste: Challenges and Opportunities to Mitigate Pollution and Effective Management DOI Open Access
Md Golam Kibria, Nahid Imtiaz Masuk,

Rafat Safayet

et al.

International Journal of Environmental Research, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 17(1)

Published: Jan. 20, 2023

Language: Английский

Citations

404
An inshore–offshore sorting system revealed from global classification of ocean litter DOI
Carmen Morales-„Caselles, Josué Viejo, Elisa Martí

et al.

Nature Sustainability, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 4(6), P. 484 - 493

Published: June 10, 2021

Language: Английский

Citations

362
Reducing environmental plastic pollution by designing polymer materials for managed end-of-life DOI
Kara Lavender Law, Ramáni Narayan

Nature Reviews Materials, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 7(2), P. 104 - 116

Published: Oct. 11, 2021

Language: Английский

Citations

344
The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution DOI Creative Commons
Helen Ford, Nia H. Jones, Andrew J. Davies

et al.

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 806, P. 150392 - 150392

Published: Sept. 17, 2021

Plastic pollution and climate change have commonly been treated as two separate issues sometimes are even seen competing. Here we present an alternative view that these fundamentally linked. Primarily, explore how plastic contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the beginning end of its life cycle. Secondly, show more extreme weather floods associated with change, will exacerbate spread in natural environment. Finally, both occur throughout marine environment, ecosystems species can be particularly vulnerable both, such coral reefs face disease through climate-driven increased global bleaching events. A Web Science search showed studies ocean often siloed, only 0.4% articles examining stressors simultaneously. We also identified a lack regional industry-specific cycle analysis data for comparisons relative GHG contributions by materials products. Overall, suggest rather than debate over importance or pollution, productive course would determine linking factors between identify solutions combat crises.

Language: Английский

Citations

310
Microplastics and nanoplastics in the marine-atmosphere environment DOI
Deonie Allen, Steve Allen, Sajjad Abbasi

et al.

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 3(6), P. 393 - 405

Published: May 10, 2022

Language: Английский

Citations

284
A growing plastic smog, now estimated to be over 170 trillion plastic particles afloat in the world’s oceans—Urgent solutions required DOI Creative Commons
Marcus Eriksen, Win Cowger,

Lisa M. Erdle

et al.

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 18(3), P. e0281596 - e0281596

Published: March 8, 2023

As global awareness, science, and policy interventions for plastic escalate, institutions around the world are seeking preventative strategies. Central to this is need precise time series of pollution with which we can assess whether implemented policies effective, but at present lack these data. To address need, used previously published new data on floating ocean plastics (n = 11,777 stations) create a time-series that estimates average counts mass small in surface layer from 1979 2019. Today’s abundance estimated approximately 82–358 trillion particles weighing 1.1–4.9 million tonnes. We observed no clear detectable trend until 1990, fluctuating stagnant then 2005, rapid increase present. This acceleration densities world’s oceans, also reported beaches globe, demands urgent international interventions.

Language: Английский

Citations

251
The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview DOI Creative Commons
C. H. Wayman, Helge Niemann

Environmental Science Processes & Impacts, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 23(2), P. 198 - 212

Published: Jan. 1, 2021

The fate of plastic in the ocean is influenced by physical, chemical and biological stressors. These cause fragemntation formation micro nanoplastics but also degradation plastics.

Language: Английский

Citations

242