For a decade, scientists and researchers have reported the Earth's waters slowly being dominated by plastic waste. In a recent survey, the seawater, beaches, and sediments on the Tarragona coast were found to contain quantities of plastic. Experts found that there are similarities between the plastic content in the said coastline with those that are found in big cities such as Barcelona. Experts also pointed out that according to the survey, more than half of the contaminants are clothing fibers that are commonly washed out from washing machines.
This research was presented last week at Helsinki's congress by scientists from the Universitat Rovira I Virgili (URV)'s research group TecnATox. Plastic contaminants as referenced by the group are not limited only to those that are seen floating on water or being washed up by waves, rather it also includes the presence of microscopic plastic waste that cannot be seen by the naked eye. These microplastics have been established to cause harm to human health and marine life.
The Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the URV has studied these particles and their effects.
In 2018, a series of pioneering studies were initiated which analyze the sample of seawater, marine sediment, and sand samples from the Tarragona beaches. The team of researchers' goal was to determine the presence of plastic contaminants in the waters and the possibility to determine its source.
According to the scientists, the plastics were washed into the sea by streams and large rivers, as well as through the drainage systems and underwater outfalls. Other sources include industrial discharges of plastic polymers and the direct discharges into the sea by boats.
However, a recent study has shown that another possible source of pollution is the synthetic fibers that come from washing clothes. By analyzing the samples taken from the coast, the researchers have observed that 57% of the plastics analyzed from the seawater are microscopic fibers from clothes. While it is true that wastewater from washing clothes pass through treatment plants before flowing back into the sea, the microscopic fibers are only partially removed.
Further analysis of the samples reveals the presence of microscopic plastics belonging to three main groups. This includes polypropylene which is 42%, polystyrene which is 37%, and polyethylene which is 16%. Plastic contaminants are waste products of everyday items such as wrappings, containers, and bags. Scientists pointed out that plastic being washed into the ocean is taking too long to degrade or is not degrading at all. Instead, these plastics are just being broken down into microscopic pieces called microplastics and in some cases into even smaller sizes which are then called nano plastics.
The presence of such plastic waste in the sea is both a problem of pollution and health risks for human beings and marine life. It has been found out that microplastics can be ingested by humans through food, even if these are not seafood.
