Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is now widely recognised as a major global challenge – but we still know very little about how these plastics are actually reaching the sea.
Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is now widely recognised as a major global challenge – but we still know very little about how these plastics are actually reaching the sea.
A new global initiative, led by the University of Birmingham shows how focussing on rivers and river mouths can yield vital clues about how we might manage this plastic crisis.
The 100 Plastic Rivers Project is engaging with scientists in more than 60 locations worldwide to sample water and sediment in rivers. The aim is to better understand how plastics are transported and transformed in rivers and how they accumulate in river sediments, where they create a long-lasting pollution legacy.
First results of the project will be presented at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), held in Vienna, Austria, from 7-12 April 2019. They show a complex picture, with a huge diversity in types and sources of plastic in selected river estuaries in the UK and France.
Read more at University of Birmingham
Photo Credit: QuinceMedia via Pixabay
