Microplastics - an incomplete but potentially frightening picture

Oceanic
Microplastic -Pollution
Where it comes from and the
troubles it causes
By Stefan Barot

INTENTIONS OF THIS PRESENTATION
THIS PRESENTATION IS AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND AND SUMMARIZE THE
CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT MICROPLASTICS IN THE OCEAN.
WHILE THE INFORMATION IS FROM PUBLIC SOURCES, IT IS SOMETIMES
CONTROVERSIAL. TO RAISE THE AWARENESS OF THIS LACK OF DATA IS ONE
PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION.
March 18, 2018 2

Introduction to Microplastics
problems with data reliability
Microplastic – are they there?
What harm can they do?
Microplastics – origin?
Where do they come from?
Link to MSW
Are Bioplastics a potential solution
Conclusion
Outline
March 18, 2018 3

https://www.economist.com/news/international/21737498-so-far-it-seems-less-bad-other-kinds-pollution-about-which-less-fuss-madeEconomist / 03/2018
Plastics are very useful and
we might need more of it…
So its not so bad?
Well lets see….
March 18, 2018 4
PLASTIC POLLUTION - A MAINSTREAM TOPIC…

AN ICONIC LINEAR APPLICATION WITH US$ 80–120 BIO P/A MATERIAL VALUE LOSS
AFTER A SHORT FIRST USE
SOURCE: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION AND MCKINSEY & COMPANY, THE NEW PLASTICS ECONOMY – RE T HINKING THE FUTUR E OF PLASTICS P.27
“GLOBAL FLOWS OF PLASTIC PACKAGING MATERIALS IN 2013” (2016, HTTP://WWW.ELLENMACARTHURFOUNDATION.ORG/PUBLICATIONS).
PLASTIC PACKAGING…
March 18, 2018 5
The awareness started to RISE
with the Ellen McArthur
foundation report from
January 2016..

GESAMP report UNESCO / 2015 http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002475/247518e.pdf
MICRO-PLASTICS BECOME A MAINSTREAM TOPIC…
March 18, 2018 6

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002475/247518e.pdf2015 GESAMP report UNESCO 2015
March 18, 2018 7
WHAT ARE MICRO-PLASTICS

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/baby-fish-prefer-plastic-over-natural-foods-180959320/
ConfusedUnclear
Contradictory
Example:
Uncertain
March 18, 2018 8
BUT IT IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL…..

Unclear
Contradictory
Another example:
Blastic:
Science Direct:
→ Is there sufficient and conclusive data?
https://www.blastic.eu/knowledge-bank/impacts/plastic-ingestion/fish/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969717328024
Confused
Uncertain
March 18, 2018 9
BUT IT IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL…..
Same time
same are
different results

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002475/247518e.pdf
GESAMP - UNESCO report / 2015
http://www.eunomia.co.uk/reports-tools/plastics-in-the-
marine-environmenteunomia – EU Union / 2016
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7677e.pdf
UN food and Aquaculture / 2017
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2
017-002.pdf
International Union for Conservation
of National Resources / 2017
Marked with for main sourceM
https://www.worldenergy.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/WEResources_Waste_to_Energy_20
16.pdfWaste to Energy WEC / 2016
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4501/epdf
EFSA Journal / 2016
March 18, 2018 10
THE MAIN INFORMATION SOURCES OF THIS PRESENTATION

Link to MSW
Conclusion
Outline
March 18, 2018 11

So this is not the problem?
But lets have a closer look…
March 18, 2018 12
MARINE POLLUTION IS BAD…

Source: 2015 GESAMP report UNESCO -
Large microplastics are just
visible with the naked eye
smaller ones can only be seen
by microscope
Microplastics also include the
much smaller NANO-plastics
M
March 18, 2018 13
BUT WHAT ARE MICRO-PLASTICS….

Mega plastic pieces (>1 m)
entanglement: whales, dolphins, sea-lions
Macro plastics (>2.5 cm)
entanglement: turtles, birds, large fish
ingestion: whales, dolphins, sea-lions
Meso plastics (<2.5 cm)
ingestion: birds and fish
Micro plastics (<5mm)
ingestion: fish and seafood
2015 GESAMP report UNESCO 2015
And now we focus on microplastics
M
March 18, 2018 14
THE DANGERS OF PLASTIC IN GENERAL

Source: http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/seafood-eaters-may-be-ingesting-up-to-11000-microplastic-particles-a-year/
But are they really there??
March 18, 2018 15
SEAFOOD – EATERS MIGHT DIGEST > 11’000 PLASTIC PARTICLES P.A.

http://www.gesamp.org/publications/reports-and-studies-no-90
Microplastics are found in sea-food – these are
examples from ~ 300 data-points…
M
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/123/2/ehp.123-A34.alt.pdfNew Focus
Illustration from different
source
March 18, 2018 16
MEASUREMENTS OF MICRO-PLASTICS IN THE MARINE LIFE

MEASUREMENTS OF MICRO-
PLASTICS IN THE MARINE LIFE
Microplastics also in birds –
since the 80ties…
M
What they do in marine life an
mammals ?
https://www.npr.org/2014/06/17/322959714/plastics-dont-disappear-but-they-do-end-up-in-sea-birds-bellie
Illustration from different
source
March 18, 2018 17
PLASTIC POLLUTION - A MAINSTREAM TOPIC…

Food for human consumption
Globally and in general report
Microplastics in sea-
food targeted for food!
→ They are there
M
March 18, 2018 18
MEASUREMENTS OF MICRO-PLASTICS IN FOOD….

Microplastics enter the human body Microplastics degrade into “nasty chemicals”
Microplastics cultivate
new bacteria
Microplastics change
bio-diversity
Microplastics transport “nasty chemicals”
How big is the danger??
March 18, 2018 19
THE PROBLEMS WITH MICROPLASTICS….

If they are small enough they can enter all parts of the body
→ How much damage can they do…?
M
March 18, 2018 20
MICROPLASTICS CAN ENTER THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Potentially a lot!
M
DNA Damage
Changes in gene and
proteins
More micronuclei
Cell clothing
Cell stress
Inflammation & bone
osteolysis
Lesions
However / this is not a
medical report…
March 18, 2018 21
WHAT PROBLEMS CAN MICROPLASTICS CAUSE?

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/ocean-life-eats-plastic-larvaceans-anchovy-environment/
2009: Study by Katsuhiko Saido (Nihon University in Chiba, Japan):
Plastics (PS) degrade relatively quickly (< 2 years) under the right conditions
…….Styrene monomer (PS), bisphenol A found in increased concentrations….
→ And then it was silent – so was it not true?
Since 2014: PS degradation products and its accumulation in the oceans
→ An accumulation could happen….
March 18, 2018 22
CAN IT BE THAT PLASTIC DEGRADES SO FAST?

https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/24978/1/gupea_2077_24978_1.pdf
28 Plastics tested for leaching of chemicals in doctoral study of Delialh Lithner (Uni Gothenburg S)
Results for Daphne Magna
⅓ of all test samples released substances
of acute toxicity
Mainly from soft and semi-soft e.g. PVC,
PUR and Epoxy products
Results significant for humans
Only 1 in 13 PE/PP and PET samples problematic
5 out of 13 leachates problematic for children
Most hazardous plastics, most hazardous monomers:
ABS, SAN, HIPS, PVC, EPOXY
→ Test in the lab with very high concentrations
→ We could have an issue here
Arbitrary selection of results
March 18, 2018 23
MICROPLASTICS DEGRADATION PRODUCTS

http://www.oceanhealthindex.org/news/Microplastics
Report of:
Hideshige Takada,
Environmental Organic
Geochemist, Tokyo
University of Agriculture
and Technology and
Founder of
International Pellet Watch
(IPW)
POLARITY:
Polyolefins, known to
accumulate highly toxic
chemicals on surface.
March 18, 2018 24
IS TRUE DANGER IS THE ACCUMULATION OF TOXIC’S

Is this really worrying – do we have an issue??
Some of chemicals are really nasty:
PCB’s 1000 – 4300 pg/kg-bw/day
PAH’s 4000 – 20000 pg/kg-bw/day
DDT 5000 – 100e6 pg/kg-bw/day
Values for the additives &
monomers are higher
But these are in pg (pico-gram)
pg/kg-bw/day
1 pg = 0.0000000000001 g
M
March 18, 2018 25
BUT IF IN THE FOOD CHAIN THEY ARE A REAL PROBLEM…

…….
…….
…..
M ACCORDING TO THE UN FISHERY AND ACUACULTURE:
NO it is not a problem YET – cumulative < 1% of all intake
→ But further studies are highly recommended:
Data mostly from EU
Interactions of toxic chemicals unknown
March 18, 2018 26

Microplastics are present in seafood and
they accumulate and transport nasty chemicals
→ it seems no problem yet
→ but further studies are highly needed
March 18, 2018 27
SUMMARY – MICROPLASTICS DANGEROUS FOR HUMANS?

Link to MSW
Conclusion
Outline
March 18, 2018 28

National Ocean Service
Do micro-plastic
come from the
PRIMARY OR
SECONDARY
source??
https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/MicroplasticsOnePager_0.pdf
March 18, 2018 29
MICRO-PLASTICS – A SECOND LOOK - WHERE DO THEY COME

IUCN Primary Microplastics in the Ocean 207
1. The majority of the
plastic comes from
PLASTIC WASTE (~90%)
2. ASIA biggest polluter
3. Africa is the “runner up”
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2017-002.pdf
M
March 18, 2018 30
WHERE DOES PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN COME FROM?

eunomia Plastics in the marine environment 2016 http://www.eunomia.co.uk/reports-tools/plastics-in-the-marine-environment/
M
March 18, 2018 31
WHERE DOES THE PLASTIC GO?

eunomia Plastics in the marine environment / 2016
So NO problem – the ocean floor is the main plastic sink….
Well n ot really – lets dig a bit deeper…
http://www.eunomia.co.uk/reports-tools/plastics-in-the-marine-environment/
M
March 18, 2018 32
WHERE DOES THE PLASTIC GO?

To make it clear from the start – I failed to get a mass-balance…
→ But there is some interesting insights…
Time - lag
Storage
IN OUT
Volume
How much is generated
Source
Where does it come from?
Consumption
“animals eat it”
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-
content/uploads/123/2/ehp.123-
A34.alt.pdf
Degradation
“bacteria eat it”
March 18, 2018 33
THE FLOW OF MICROPLASTICS – IS A MASS BALANCE POSSIBLE?

Suggestion in
2013….
Is this confirmed now?
EFSA Journal / 2016
M
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4501/epdf
March 18, 2018 34
SO WHERE DOES THE MICRO-PLASTICS REALLY COME FROM?

https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2017-002.pdf
If majority of microplastics are PRIMARY
THEN:
Sizable part from:
Clothes: PET, PP
Transportation: SBR, Rubber
Can we find these polymers in the
microplastics?
2017 IUCN Primary Microplastics in the Ocean -/ 2017
M
March 18, 2018 35
SO WHERE DOES THE MICRO-PLASTICS REALLY COME FROM?

PET (Fibers and washing) insignificant
SBR not present.
Both PET and the SBR (heavier than water)
→ they sink to the ground…
→ then PA should sink as well OR
→ Plastic Waste is LIKELY the main source
of microplastics
(Secondary microplastics)
GESAMP report UNESCO 2015
M
March 18, 2018 36
WHAT ARE THE MICRO-PLASTICS MADE OF?

file:/ http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002475/247518e.pdf
What is sure:
Without UV and friction
= Below the surface
Plastic degrades very
very slowly…
But is this really true?
Is the amount of
microplastic increasing?
M
March 18, 2018 37
HOW FAST DOES PLASTIC DEGRADE?

Paradox of Richard Sole: We cannot see an increase in the amount of plastics….
→ Plastic eating bacteria have developed…
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/05/09/135582https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2017/05/09/135582.full.pdf
March 18, 2018 38
IT IS POSSIBLE BACTERIA EAT THE MICROPLASTIC….

At least in the Baltic Sea there is no increase over 30 years
But littoral states are “low polluters” & water is flowing out …
Contradiction - not enough evidence to get a full picture YET
→ But are we sure we see the full picture….
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969717328024
March 18, 2018 39
CAN WE FIND AN INCREASED CONCENTRATION

3/18/2018
Not surprisingly there is a lot of confusion due to the complexity of the problem and the lack of data
But maybe we can see where and how the plastics flows and distributes in the ocean….
Microplastics account for only ~ 1% of the plastic waste
entering the ocean and are 93’000 to 236’000 mt/a
New estimate of floating microplastics is 37 times
higher than before….
WEF/ 2016: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/how-much-plastic-is-there-in-the-ocean
March 18, 2018 40
AND DO WE REALLY SEE ALL THE PLASTIC

http://plasticadrift.org
It takes years until they are globally distributed
http://plasticadrift.org
March 18, 2018 41
HOW DO WIND AND CURRENT DRIVE THE PLASTIC…?

http://onesharedocean.org/lmesOne Ocean shared LMS portal
2017 - Simulation based on mathematical models
M
2015
Do we know WE know where the MACROplastics is…??
March 18, 2018 42
HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS OF MICROPLASTICS IN ASIA

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/plastic-pollution-which-oceans-contain-most/
March 18, 2018 43
MACROPLASTICS – WHERE IS IT?

3/18/2018
We are left with open questions,
and a mass/balance is not possible - YET.
→ A lot more research is required…
Time - lag
Storage
IN OUT
Volume
How much is generated
Source
Where does it come from?
Consumption
“animals eat it”
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-
content/uploads/123/2/ehp.123-
A34.alt.pdf
Degradation
“bacteria eat it”
Secondary from
plastic waste
Unclear
90 – 230 kt
up to 37
times higher
Lasts for years
Both unclear
March 18, 2018 44
THE FLOW OF MICROPLASTICS – IS A MASS BALANCE POSSIBLE?

Link to MSW
Conclusion
Outline
March 18, 2018 45

Just 10 rivers carry 90% of the
plastic waste...
And where are these rivers??
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.7b02368
March 18, 2018 46
RIVERS CARRY MOST OF THE PLASTIC WASTE

https://www.theoceancleanup.com/sources/
And why are those rivers carrying so much plastics?
Who is the culprit??
1. Yangtze (CN)
2. Indus (IN)
3. Yellow (CN)
4. Hai (CN)
5. Nile (EG)
6. Ganges (IN)
7. Pearl (CN)
8. Heilong (CN/RUS)
9. Niger (NI)
10. Mekong (BI)
https://www.theoceancleanup.com/sources/
March 18, 2018 47
WHERE DOES IT REALLY COME FROM??

Globally MSW Volume in 2012:
1.5 Bio t of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste)
~ 50% Bio-Mass
~ 10 % Plastic
https://www.worldenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/WEResources_Waste_to_Energy_2016.pdf
M
My assumption:
Microplastics can directly be linked to dumping of
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in nature – this due to a lack
of professional facilities to process the MSW.
March 18, 2018 48
THE CULPRIT: MSW

IN 2025 – WE EXPECT 2.5 BIO T OF MSW AND STILL WITH 50% BIO-MASS
https://www.worldenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/WEResources_Waste_to_Energy_2016.pdf
M
March 18, 2018 49
AND MSW WILL INCREASE

PER CAPITA ~1.1 KG OF SOLID WASTE PER DAY
~ 27 MIO T IN 2015 [2]
50 % OF THE SOLID WASTE IS BIODEGRADABLE [1]
In 2015:
~5 mio tons recycled, ~8 mio t handled in accordance with global best practices.
Of 2,500 dump sites, ~20% managed properly [1]
Due to increasing population & tourism waste continues to grow by 600,000 t/a [2]
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_management_in_Thailand
[1] "How Thailand is hurtling towards a massive waste disposal crisis“ - First Post. 2014-09-01 -. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
[2] Dumrongkiat (13 June 2016). "Media 'must help solve waste issue'“ - Bangkok Post - Retrieved 13 June 2016.
March 18, 2018 50
EXAMPLE OF THAILAND AND ITS WASTE ISSUE

51
3/18/2018
Soil erosion / natural resource depletion
P
P
Marine Plastic
pollution

The 3 problems of MSW

Global Warming
March 18, 2018 51
MSW - THE SCOURGE OF PLANT EARTH

3/18/2018
Truck dumping garbage
Into river
No facilities for proper
processing
March 18, 2018 52
THE CULPRIT CONVENIENCE AND CULPRIT FACILITIES

Raise awareness Remove plastic from beach
Build MSW EOL
infrastructureStart legislative framework Build collection system
ACTIONS & POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
March 18, 2018 53

While bioplastics provide a
solution, there are concerns…
1. Bioplastics degrade too slow
in the marine environment.
2. Bioplastics can become an
excuse to continue littering.
March 18, 2018 54
ARE BIO-PLASTICS A SOLUTION FOR MICROPLASTICS??

No data for marine
degradation exist…
Bio-plastic degrade faster.
Due to their raw materials
they also pose less risk
Most will not degrade fast
enough
Many unknows like
accumulation of toxic
materials
Bio-plastics not an
excuse to keep
current “one-way”
plastic waste system
March 18, 2018 55
ARE BIO-PLASTICS A SOLUTION??

Bioplastics can help to get to more overall sustainability with MSW….
March 18, 2018 56
ARE BIO-PLASTICS A SOLUTION FOR MICROPLASTICS??

Link to MSW
Conclusion
Outline
March 18, 2018 57

Microplastics are real Could be an issue
for humans
Large contributors
Asia / Rivers
Main contribution
likely municipal waste
Global Problem
Data still
insufficient
? ? ?
CONCLUSIONS MICROPLASTICS (I)
March 18, 2018 58

M CONCLUSIONS (II) – SUGGESTION IN UN REPORT – MORE DATA
March 18, 2018 59

Raise awareness Remove plastic from beach
Build MSW EOL
infrastructureStart legislative framework Build collection system
ACTIONS & POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
March 18, 2018 60
Bioplastics are not an excuse
to continue littering.
Bio/plastics can help by
raising awareness and by
allowing for other EOL (End
of Life) solutions.

Microplastics - an incomplete but potentially frightening picture

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