The world’s oceans are polluted by “plastic pollution” made up of about 171 trillion plastic particles that, if put together, would weigh about 2.3 million tons, according to a new study.
A team of international scientists analyzed global data collected between 1979 and 2019 from nearly 12,000 sample points in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.
They found a “rapid and unprecedented” increase in ocean plastic pollution since 2005, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.
“It’s much higher than previous estimates,” Lisa Erdle, director of research and innovation at the 5 Gyres Institute and author of the report, told CNN .
Without urgent policy action, the rate at which plastics enter the oceans could increase by about 2.6 times between now and 2040, according to the study.
Plastic production has skyrocketed in recent decades, especially single-use plastics, and waste management systems have not kept pace.
Only around 9% of global plastics are recycled each year.
Large amounts of this plastic waste end up in the oceans. Most come from land, washed into rivers – by rain, wind, overflowing culverts and rubbish – and carried out to sea.
A smaller but still significant amount, such as fishing gear, is lost or simply dumped into the ocean.
Once plastic reaches the ocean, it doesn’t break down, but tends to break down into tiny pieces.
These particles “really aren’t easily cleaned up, we’re stuck with them,” Erdle said.
Marine life can get tangled in plastic or mistake it for food. Plastic can also release toxic chemicals into the water. And it’s not just an environmental disaster, plastic is also a major climate problem.
Fossil fuels are the raw ingredient for most plastics and produce planet-warming pollution throughout their entire life cycle – from production to disposal.

Figuring out exactly how much plastic is in the ocean is a difficult exercise.
“The ocean is a complex place. There are a lot of ocean currents, there are changes over time due to weather and soil conditions,” Erdle said.
The researchers spent years analyzing peer-reviewed articles, as well as unpublished findings by other scientists, to try to piece together the most extensive record possible — both in terms of timeline and geography.
Most of the study’s samples were collected in the North Pacific and North Atlantic, where most of the data exists.
The study authors say more data is still needed for areas such as the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, South Atlantic and South Pacific.
“This research has opened my eyes to how challenging it is to measure and characterize plastic in the ocean and underscores the need for real solutions to the problem,” Win Cowger, research scientist at the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research in California and lead author of the study, said. in a statement.
Since the 1970s, there have been a number of agreements aimed at stemming the tide of plastic pollution hitting the ocean, but they are mostly voluntary, piecemeal and rarely include measurable targets, the study noted.
The study authors call for urgent international political intervention. “We clearly need some solutions that have teeth,” Erdle said.

The United Nations agreed to create a legally binding global plastics treaty by 2024 that would address the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal.
But there are still major divisions over whether this should include cuts in plastic manufacturing, which is expected to quadruple by 2050.
Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator and now president of Beyond Plastics, a nonprofit focused on consumer research and education, said policies to reduce the amount of plastic produced in the first place are the only real solution, especially because companies continue to find new ways to pump more plastics to market.
“The plastics and petrochemical industries are making it impossible to reduce the amount of plastic that contaminates our oceans,” Enck told the CNN by email.
“New research is always helpful, but we don’t have to wait for new research to kick in – the problem is already painfully clear, in the plastic that accumulates in our oceans, air, soil, food and bodies,” said Enck.
Source: CNN Brasil

Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.