Researchers identify “plastic smog” as trillions of particles float in the oceans

14 Mar 2023 --- A newly released study by the 5 Gyres Institute reveals the average number of plastic particles in the world’s oceans adds up to 170 trillion plastic particles, weighing two million metric tons. 

The study’s co-authors used previously published and new data, including 11,777 samples of floating ocean plastics focusing on a 40-year period between 1979 and 2019, to create a global time series that estimates the average counts and mass of microplastics in the ocean surface layer. 

“[The findings] do not include particles less than 1/3 mm. It does not include the seafloor, seashore, rivers, lakes, deserts and mountains, so there’s likely hundreds of trillions more particles of plastic on the planet,” Marcus Eriksen, researcher with the 5 Gyres Institute tells PackagingInsights.

“What makes this abundance of microplastic problematic is that it is small and therefore more bioavailable to marine life. Those small particles are ingested and may carry other toxins plastic absorbs from the environment, like many industrial chemicals.”

Further exacerbation without action 
The study, published in the science journal Plos One, found that without immediate action, the rate of plastic entering aquatic environments is expected to increase approximately 2.6 times from 2016 to 2040.

“Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans during the past 15 years has reached unprecedented levels,” highlight the researchers.

The sources of plastic pollution in the ocean are numerous, warn the researchers.The scientists found no trends until 1990, then a fluctuation between 1990 and 2005. After, the samples skyrocketed, which may reflect exponential increases in plastic production, fragmentation of existing plastic pollution, or changes in terrestrial waste generation and management. 

The sources of plastic pollution in the ocean are numerous. Fishing gear like nets and buoys often end up in the middle of the ocean, dumped or dropped by accident, while things like clothing, car tires and single-use plastics often pollute nearer to the coast. These objects eventually break down into microplastics.

A growing plastic smog
Eriksen explains human health lies at the research frontier in this study. “We’ve found micro and nanoplastic in human tissues, blood, lungs and even the placenta. Now we aim to understand if and how bad this is for your body.”

The acceleration of marine plastic pollution demands urgent international policy intervention at the source of plastic production and product manufacture – before waste is generated – to minimize ecological, social and economic harm.

UN member states adopted a resolution to end plastic pollution at United Nations Environment Assembly 5.2 last year. But how that plays out remains to be seen. 

“With drastic policies needed for reduction and reuse instead of recycling, the responsibility may shift from consumers to producers. Environmental activists hope to see a global treaty that will address the full life cycle of plastic, from extraction and manufacturing to its end of life,” say the researchers in their study. 

Strong legislation needed
Existing international policies on plastic are fragmented, lack specificity and do not include measurable targets, asserts the study. Creating binding and enforceable international agreements focused on source reduction is the best long-term solution. 

As treaty negotiations are underway, the scientists say it is crucial to establish a legally binding global treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, from extraction and manufacturing to its end of life.

Eriksen says that a strong bill is needed. “It must be legally binding and not voluntary. Governments make ambitious commitments that win them high praise, but when it comes to actually doing the work, voluntary efforts fail.”

The 5 Gyres Institute published the first Global Estimate of Marine Plastic Pollution in 2014, which determined there were more than 5 trillion plastic particles afloat in the ocean.The acceleration of marine plastic pollution demands urgent international policy intervention, say the study authors.

The updated paper brings together many of the same co-authors and scientists who are leaders in ocean plastic research, including Edward Carpenter, who published the first paper on plastic in the ocean in 1972, Robert Day, who first discovered plastic in the North Pacific in 1985 and Charles Moore, who discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997. 

Industry takeaways 
Eriksen tell us that we all have an important and urgent role in supporting a strong UN treaty but also in accelerating new packaging materials and designs that are recyclable or compostable. 

“The vast majority of plastic waste destined for the landfill or incinerator is packaging. We need innovators and entrepreneurs to bring those packaging alternatives to market that are either 100% recyclable (technological and economical) as a technical material, or 100% compostable, with no lingering chemical additives,” he asserts.

Some PHA films could be good alternatives to wrap snacks, chips and candy bars. “All too often we see laminates of paper, metal and plastic, or packaging with all kinds of mixed polymers, plasticizers and additives, rendering it practically non-recyclable.”

“We also hear a lot of talk about advanced recycling, but it’s always about technological ability rather than economic reality,” he adds.

“Recycling of packaging will continue to fail unless manufacturers are willing to purchase recycled plastic and packaging is designed for easy recycling. Currently, it is not, no matter how much we hear about how great advanced recycling is,” concludes Eriksen.

By Natalie Schwertheim