THE BIG PACIFIC ISLAND OF GARBAGE IS NOW THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN FRANCE AND IT IS BECOMING MORE DANGEROUS
turtle eating plastic bag
The largest accumulation of floating plastics in the world, known as the 'Great Pacific garbage island, now has an area two times larger than Texas and three times larger than France, according to a recent study.
size of GPGP
revealed 79,000 tons of plastic in a large oceanic accumulation zone west of California, a figure 16 times higher than previous estimates.
The results suggest that there are considerably more plastics there than scientists have ever considered and that microplasticity is rapidly accumulating in that area.
Mildly toxic particles come to our food via caught fish, and apart from being able to penetrate the internal organs of the intake and toxic chemicals into the body.
Currents accumulate plastic in one place
plastic found in fish body
"The Great Pacific Island of Garbage is halfway between Hawaii and California," said study co-author and scientist of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation, Dr. Laurent Lebreton. "It forms the sea currents that meet at that place and there accumulates floating plastic waste, which in some cases breaks down into smaller pieces, called microplasticism and which can be detrimental to maritime life.
The research showed that plastic accounts for 99.9% of its waste in that part of the ocean. At least 46% of plastic is composed of fishing nets, and over three quarters of plastics in this zone are more than 5 cm waste. Microplasticity accounts for 8% of the total mass, but 94% of the estimated 1.8 billion pieces floating in the sea. Although most of the larger objects have broken into smaller parts, scientists have managed to identify some of them, including containers, bottles, lids, ropes and fishing nets.
The impact of waste on the living world in the sea
"We estimate that around 80,000 tonnes of plastic is currently floating within an area of 1.6 million square kilometers," says Dr. Leberton.
In addition to aerial observation, scientists studied 652 'catch' networks made by 18 vessels.
Although it is difficult to stop using plastic, we all need to at least make some effort and stop the accumulation of garbage.
At this point it is now the question of the survival of all of us.
Recycling, use of biodegradable materials,.... the smallest thing will help.
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