Microplastic Pollution in The Atlantic Ocean

Plastic has been a matter of concern for the pollution it is causing all over the world.  They are synthetic organic polymers created by the polymerisation of monomers. They are basically extracted from hydrocarbons. Plastic and microplastics are ubiquitous in modern days and thus declared as the most persistent pollutants to date. Any type of plastic debris enters the oceans through multiple ways and constantly accumulates in the marine environment. They are hazardous and have detrimental effects. The land-based sources of plastic are higher than the sea-based sources. Hence, larger marine plastic pollution is caused in coastal cities.

Microplastics

Microplastic are small pellets of raw plastic materials from which larger plastic items are made. Primary microplastic are the pieces that have size ranging less than 5mm.They are used in cosmetics, cleaners and industrial scrubbers. Secondary microplastics are derived from larger plastic materials by mechanical, chemical or photolytic degradation. They include irregular fragments of plastic, fibres from clothes and nets.

It is found that areas with higher river input have higher concentration of microplastic accumulation. About 75-90% debris is land-based coming from improperly managed landfills and 10-25% come from inputs to the ocean like shipping, fishing, etc. The human population density is one of the prime factors contributing to increase in distribution of microplastics. The detailed study on microplastics was documented in 1970’s. The types of microplastic found in marine environments are in the form of fibres, fragments, films, and microbeads.

Nature communications-

Nature communications is an open access journal which has published numerous high quality research papers. They have also published journals on the topics related to microplastics, its effects and the management of microplastics. The remote corners of the Arctic have been of concern due to the accumulation of microplastics. The magnitude of microplastic pollution is uncertain so the scientists cannot directly hypothesise on how much pollution does microplastic cause.

A new research study on microplastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean has been published in the Nature Communications. The study implies that the estimated amount of microplastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean is 11.6 to 21.1 million tonnes. It indicates that the inputs of ocean plastics have increased than previously determined. The study on microplastic pollution is not a novel finding and is usually underestimated. But this new research has tried to identify the pollution by conveying it in the form of the number of microplastics present in the oceans.

Microplastic pollution in Atlantic Ocean

A recent study of microplastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean was performed. It resulted in recognising the three types of microplastics responsible for pollution, they are polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. These plastics were suspended in the top 200 m of the ocean. They play a key role in plastic packaging. Scientists have noted that the smaller plastics are hazardous because they easily sink to greater ocean depths and the marine zooplanktons ingest them. Due to this, the plastics enter the food chain and get converted into fast-sinking faecal pellets. 

The Atlantic Ocean has received 0.3-0.8 percent of global plastic waste for 65 years. As per the estimation by plastic waste generation trends from 1950-2015, the Atlantic waters is said to hold 17-47 million tonnes of plastic waste. The ingestion of these microplastics collectively is raising concerns for the health of marine ecosystems. 

The study stated that ‘The magnitude of contamination of the Atlantic Ocean is due to uncertainty and is much higher in terms of mass than estimated earlier’. Policy makers  should carefully evaluate and find an alternative to replace certain microplastics by stimulating production of innovative and environmentally conscious materials. 

Conclusion–

Plastic is found to be one of the well known reasons for environmental degradation. This has the ability to hinder the aerial, terrestrial and aquatic environment of the earth. Microplastic is a subtype of this microplastic pollution that poses a risk to humans and animal health. Research has proven that it not only affects the marine organisms but also the humans through the intake of seafood. That means we are exposed greatly to microplastic ingestion.

The scientists are focusing on microplastic monitoring techniques along the supply chain. The lack of some detailed information is responsible for pulling back the appropriate actions under study. Thus, the plastic waste management must be given special attention along with the microplastic legislation until the health of all the living beings remain concerned.