ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
PLASTIC
Sperm whale dies with 100kg 'litter ball' in its stomach
December 2, 2019
A sperm whale that died on the Isle of Harris had been found with 100 kg of plastic litter such as fishing nets, rope, bags and cups in its stomach. The trash is believed to have come from land and from the fishing industry.
There have been increasing numbers of whale and dolphin strandings in Scotland. There were 204 reports in 2009, rising to 930 in 2018.
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Full article at https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-50621304
Where plastic outnumbers fish by seven to one
November 12, 2019
A study found bits of plastic outnumber baby fish by seven to one in nursery waters off Hawaii.
"We don't have the data to say whether or not this has a negative effect on fish populations," Dr Gareth Williams of Bangor University, UK, told BBC News.
"But the fact that they're eating these non-nutritious particles at the point when eating is so critical for their survival in those first few days, it can only be a bad thing."
"We found tiny plastic pieces in the stomachs of commercially targeted pelagic (open sea) species, including swordfish and mahi-mahi, as well as in coral reef species like triggerfish," said Dr Whitney.
Plastics were also found in flying fish, which are eaten by top predators such as tunas and most Hawaiian seabirds.
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Western plastics 'poisoning Indonesian food chain'
November 14, 2019
The burning of plastic waste in Indonesia, much of which has been sent there by the West, is poisoning the food chain, the BBC has learned.
Long-term exposure to the chemicals is linked to cancer, damage to the immune system and developmental issues.
Testing eggs, the researchers said, was the easiest way to check whether the chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins had made it into the food chain.
The most serious reading was taken near a group of tofu factories that burn plastics for fuel, in the village of Tropodo.
The tests found eating one egg would exceed the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) tolerable daily intake for chlorinated dioxins 70 times over.
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Welcome to Hawaii's 'plastic beach', one of the world's dirtiest places
January 10, 2019
Kamilo Beach, located on the south-eastern tip of Hawaii’s Big Island, has been dubbed one of the most plastic-polluted spots on the planet. On a bright day last summer, Larson and fellow members of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund (HWF), a team of conservation volunteers, collected 1,400lb of it.
Hawaii sits at the center of swirling ocean currents, just east of the Great Pacific garbage patch. As a result, its shoreline catches plastic from all over the world, some of it decades old.
Regular cleanups have prevented the return of 10ft tall piles of plastic, but daily debris continues to trickle in, with no end in sight. HWF estimates that between 15 and 20 tons of debris wash up here annually, and that 96% of it is plastic.
Hawaii’s remarkable wildlife has been particularly hard hit. Across the islands, marine wildlife agents continue to find humpback whales ensnared in abandoned fishing nets and turtles hooked on plastic bags, while fishermen routinely haul in catches of fish with plastic-filled bodies.
Most experts agree that without big changes in the way corporations produce and consumers use plastics, places like Hawaii will continue to bear the brunt of the planet’s dependency.
In the meantime, volunteers continue to fight the rising tide, piece by piece.
Back at Kamilo, a group of Canadian engineers prepared to test the Hoola One, a vacuum-like machine that collects sand and separates the microplastics. These tiny fragments, formed when plastic breaks down, are the greatest challenge during beach cleanups.
A few days later, they report back. The machine removed 230lb of microplastics in just a few days.
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Full article at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/10/kamilo-beach-plastic-hawaii-pollution