An international scientific research team published a new research report in the UK’s “Science Report” on the 22nd saying that the huge “rubbish island” on the eastern Pacific Ocean—the Pacific Ocean rubbish belt floats nearly 80,000 tons of plastic. This figure is better than before. Estimated nearly 16 times higher.
Located between California and Hawaii in the western United States, the Great Pacific Garbage Belt is a huge marine debris dumping area.
An international team led by the non-profit organization 'Ocean Cleanup Foundation' conducted an in-depth sampling of the garbage belt. They analyzed and found that the total amount of garbage in this accumulation area is much higher than previously estimated. The vast majority of waste here is plastic, of which at least 46% is fishing nets; more than three-quarters of the plastic in the area is wastes larger than 5 cm in size, including hard plastics and plastic films.
In addition, it is worth noting that microplastics in this area are rapidly accumulating. Microplastics are plastic particles and textile fibers with a size of less than 5 mm. The main sources are small plastic particles that are directly discharged into the environment and large pieces of plastic waste. The crumble.
After comparing historical data, the researchers stated that the level of plastic pollution in this area has increased significantly since records began in the 1970s.
The report's lead author, Laurent Le Breton of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation, said that plastics in this area are accumulating far faster than the surrounding waters, indicating that the amount of plastics flowing into this trash band exceeds the amount of outflow, and this is not yet sustainable. The exact reason behind the plastic pollution phenomenon leads to the exact conclusion.