'Compared with other countries, the concentration of marine micro-plastics in the estuary waters is moderately low in China's offshore waters. ' On July 8th, at the Ocean Micro-Plastic Symposium of the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Civilization Guiyang International Forum, East China Normal University Ocean Prof. Li Daoji, director of the Plastics Research Center, announced their latest research results, which is quite different from the results of the 2015 US study on 'China's plastics entering the world's largest amount.'
Very different from American research results
In 2016, the national marine department monitored the distribution of marine microplastics in coastal waters of China. The monitoring results show that the average density of microplastics in the surface waters of the offshore waters of eastern China is about 0.29 per cubic meter. This time, the Li Daoji team came up with a similar in conclusion.
'For example, 0.29 per cubic meter is equivalent to only 40 micro-plastic granules in a 40-square-meter, 4-meter-high house.' Li Daoji told reporters.
According to the monitoring results of the National Oceanic Department in 2016, the highest density of microplastics near the Yangtze River estuary is 2.35 per cubic meter. The density of microplastics on the beach is between 100 and 1200 per square meter.
Li Daoji's team analyzed marine plastic granules collected from beaches. 'Compared with other countries, the concentration of PCBs in these plastic granules in China is not high, lower than the world average. ' PCBs are a kind of environmental pollution. The main synthetic organic matter.
The Li Daoji team also studied the amount of plastic waste entering the sea. The study used the material flow analysis method to establish an estimation model for the annual output of plastic waste into the ocean in China. According to the model calculation results established by the team, the amount of plastic waste imported into the ocean each year is about For hundreds of thousands of tons.
'Compared with the true value of the plastic waste calculated by the model, the difference between the model result and the statistical value is less than 8%. The model can accurately predict the amount of plastic waste produced in China each year. ' Li Daoji said.
In 2015, a research team at the University of Georgia published a paper in the journal Science, which estimated the amount of plastic waste discharged by people living in 192 countries and regions within 50 kilometers of the coast. The top five emitters are all in Asia, among them, The largest amount of plastic waste discharged into the sea in 2010 was 1.32 million tons to 3.53 million tons.
However, Li Daoji and many international scientists believe that this figure is not accurate. Li Daoji said that many of the US research model hypotheses are not applicable to China. For example, this model assumes that it is based on solid waste, population and economic conditions, through research areas. The amount of plastic waste that is not controlled, it is estimated that the amount directly discharged into the ocean, which uses the proportion of micro-plastics and large pieces of plastic garbage in American rivers, etc., but these are not suitable for China.
Li Daoji’s team will release the latest research results in the near future, which will provide basic data for the development of China’s plastic waste control measures.
China's microplastics research has an important impact
In 2013, China began scientific research on marine micro-plastics. 'At that time, the international research boom was just emerging.' Li Daoji said.
In recent years, a micro-plastics monitoring from the offshore to the ocean to the polar regions has been launched in China. From 2015 to 2017, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation have supported more than 20 research projects related to marine micro-plastics. At present, more than 30 research units in China are conducting research on micro-plastic pollution of water, organisms, sediments, atmosphere, food and so on.
Li Daoji's State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research at East China Normal University is one of the earliest academic institutions in China to begin research on marine microplastics. He published the first marine microplastic research paper in China in international journals. At the end of 2015, East China Normal University The Marine Plastics Research Center was established.
In 2016, the State Oceanic Administration launched monitoring of micro-plastics covering water bodies, seabeds, beaches and organisms. In 2017, the monitoring and investigation work expanded to the North and South Arctic and the deep ocean, and the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center established the Marine Garbage and Microplastics Research Center.
At the beginning of 2017, Li Daoji led the national key research and development program 'Marine micro-plastics monitoring and ecological environment effect evaluation technology research' project officially launched.
In 2018, the 'Xiangyanghong 01' ship took the lead in conducting large-scale microplastic surveys in China's offshore, Indian Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific and Antarctic regions.
China's research on micro-plastics is advancing rapidly. Li Daoji said: 'China's research in this field has had an important international impact.'
Chinese scientists have taken the lead in releasing the spatial distribution of micro-plastics in the Yangtze River estuary and adjacent estuaries and coastal estuaries. Later, scholars have successively released micro-plastic concentrations in several bays, beaches, and Yangtze River basins in South China. 'So far, China's marine micro-plastics are related. Research has covered all aspects of possible research areas, including micro-plastic abundance in various habitats, analytical methods, bioaccumulation, toxic effects, microbial degradation, and micro-plastic pollution control and management, etc.' Li Daoji said.
Calling for global cooperation and participation
One side is in full swing and the other side is worried.
'What surprised us is that the current global understanding of the sources, transportation routes, fate and ecological effects of marine plastic waste and micro-plastics is still seriously inadequate. The research methods have not been unified and standardized so far, and this new ocean is being dealt with. Research efforts and measures for environmental threats vary widely in different regions of the world. ' Li Daoji said.
At present, the world's most concerned about marine microplastics is Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, China and other countries and regions, but in general, research is still in its infancy. Li Daoji is not worried about this, 'and, because the media is especially The new media’s lack of rigor about the dissemination of relevant information has caused some misleading and may even cause panic.
For example, Li Daoji said that the average amount of micro-plastic granules per cubic metre of seawater in the East China Sea. From the digital surface, the fine fibers that shake off the clothes in the air, the micro-plastic particles contained in the bottled mineral water are more than the seawater. Of course, clothing fibers and other micro-plastics are still different in nature and have different meanings for environmental impact. Moreover, although studies have shown that micro-plastics can enter humans through aquatic products, their health risks have not been confirmed.
Li Daoji called: 'To conduct extensive international cooperation on a global scale.' Specifically include: Establishing a globally unified marine microplastics research monitoring, analysis and identification method to study the determination of plastic waste and microplastic fluxes in global rivers and riparian systems In-depth investigation of marine microplastics from rivers to estuaries, deep seas, polar regions, transport and life cycle studies; research on marine microplastic toxicological effects at different environmental concentrations, assessment of microplastics for marine ecosystems and humans Health risks and impacts. 'Currently, it is particularly urgent to promote coordinated programs and actions of the international community, research and develop various policies, regulations and technologies to intercept and reduce the way plastic waste and micro-plastics enter the ocean.' Li Daoji said.
China is vigorously promoting the implementation of the classification and disposal of urban domestic waste, the construction of beautiful villages, the construction of ecological civilization such as 'Hechang System', 'Huchang System' and 'Bay Long System'. It is believed that the amount of plastic waste entering China will be greatly reduced in the future. More importantly, it is necessary to study and establish a sound marine environment education system, strengthen popular science education, and stimulate the public's awareness of marine environmental protection. ' Li Daoji said.
Resisting marine micro-plastic pollution will undoubtedly be a global, national war.