Plastic Debris in the Marine Environment: History and Future Challenges

Abstract

The success of plastic as a material has shaped the development of modern society and challenged older materials in many of their established uses. However, plastic is now a major component of litter and is extensively reported within the marine environment. Impacts from plastic debris have been identified as a major global conservation issue with implications for maritime industries, tourism, marine life, and human health. Although there are many benefits of plastic, it is clear that society's relationship and reliance on plastics needs to be addressed. Conversely, alternative materials to replace plastic items, or solutions mitigating plastic release, also need to be critiqued to make sure their properties and environmental impacts are more beneficial. This review examines the history and impact of plastics in the marine environment. Current solutions that aim to mitigate plastics accumulation in the environment and the future challenges of plastic as a material are also discussed.

Reaching New Heights in Plastic Pollution—Preliminary Findings of Microplastics on Mount Everest

“…37,38 There is uncertainty about the specific extent and magnitude of the harm of plastic pollution in the environment. 39,40,41,42 Although the highest reaches of Mt. Everest are incredibly difficult to access for research purposes, it has been evident that visible plastic (microplastic, > 5 mm), has been accumulating on Mt.…”

“…57 Further solutions for addressing plastic pollution will require choices in environmental options from industry and coordinated actions across a number of sectors and stakeholders. 39 Analyzing the quantity of microplastic in remote areas, such as Mt. Everest, helps us to identify how polluted these areas are becoming from human activities.…”

Natural depolymerization of waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) by neutral hydrolysis in marine water

“…Even in the absence of accurate data, most studies claim that from 5 to 50% of total plastic waste discharged into marine waters is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a thermoplastic widely used in the manufacture of fishing nets, soft-drink bottles and photographic film 8 , 9 .…”

A Ciência Cidadã na questão dos resíduos sólidos

“…deslocamento natural das águas (marés, correntes, ondas etc. ), afetando os animais e os ecossistemas marinhos, a economia e a saúde humana(BRASIL, 2019).O plástico hoje é considerado uma das maiores ameaças ao meio ambiente, por sua dificuldade de degradação, sua longa permanência no ambiente e sua constante decomposição em partículas cada vez menores, dando origem aos chamados micro e nanoplásticos(BRASIL, 2019; NAPPER;THOMPSON, 2020).No Brasil, o Plano Nacional de Combate ao Lixo no Mar (2019) propõe, dentre outras medidas, de modo articulado com a PNRS, ações de educação e sensibilização sobre a questão da poluição dos oceanos (BRASIL, 2019).Se, na origem, tais ações estavam mais focadas em realizar trabalho de conscientização da população para o problema do acúmulo de resíduos sólidos e os impactos ambientais causados, ao longo do tempo elas foram se transformando e hoje muitas passaram a adotar também metodologias e abordagens de ciência cidadã, como é o caso da própria International Coastal Cleanup.A CIÊNCIA CIDADÃ NA QUESTÃO DOS RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS Organizações atuantes no setor propugnam, cada vez mais, o envolvimento cidadão no desenho e na experimentação de soluções e políticas para a questão (ABRELPE, 2013b; ISWA, 2017; COSTA; PUGLIESI, 2018). Um aspecto considerado importante de envolver as comunidades é que são elas que melhor conhecem o ambiente local, o que é crucial para uma gestão adequada dos resíduos.…”