Marine plastic 99% of the plastic is still undetected, the results of a previous scientific field survey showed that only 1% of the plastic waste in the ocean was found.Warvey University researchers using new and low-cost new method can more effectively identify the ocean The smallest plastic particles.
A new study led by Gabriel Erni-Cassola and Joseph A. Christie-Oleza, of the Warwick School of Life Sciences in the United Kingdom, has established an advanced method to detect smaller portions of micro plastic - many as small as 20 microns Of the hair or wool fiber width) - using a fluorescent dye that specifically binds the plastic particles and makes them readily visible under a fluorescence microscope, which allows scientists to differentiate the micro plastic from other natural materials and to easily Accurately quantify it.
To test their new method, researchers collected samples from the sea and beach around the coast of Plymouth on the British coast and extracted their microcapsules from these environmental samples, applying their method and effectively quantifying smaller portions of the micro-plastic Researchers found smaller plastic particles (less than 1 millimeter) larger than previously estimated, and far more than previously determined by traditional methods.
Polypropylene prevails
These results challenge the current perception of the apparent loss of the smallest micro-plastic in surface seawater and underscore the need for further research to understand the true fate of plastic waste in the oceans. Interestingly, the researchers also found that such small-size micro-plastic The most abundant is polypropylene, a common polymer used in packaging and food containers - to show that our spending habits have a direct impact on the oceans. "Gabriel Erni-Cassola commented: 'With this method, a large number of samples can be quickly viewed and analyzed In order to obtain a large amount of data on the amount of small plastic particles in the sea water or in any environmental sample.The current methods used to evaluate the plastic particles are mainly the manual removal of the micro plastic from the sample demonstrating a significant improvement in our method.
Micro-plastics are small plastic particles in the environment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is controversial in its size, but says that micro-plastics are less than 5 millimeters in diameter and come in a variety of sources including cosmetics, apparel and industrial processes.
There are currently two types of micro-plastic materials: the main plastic is produced directly from the use of human materials and products, the second plastic is a micro plastic fragment that is broken down from larger plastic fragments such as the Pacific portion of the Pacific garbage that forms the majority of macroscopic materials Both types are believed to persist in high-level environments, especially in aquatic and marine ecosystems, and plastic resin beads used by manufacturers are often referred to as nurdles.
Because plastic does not decompose for years, it can ingest and accumulate in many organisms' bodies and tissues, and the entire cycle and movement of the micro-plastic throughout the environment is unclear, but the problem is currently under study.