APRIL 2, 2015
Large quantities of plastic debris are building up in the
Mediterranean Sea, say scientists.
A survey found around one thousand tonnes of plastic
floating on the surface, mainly fragments of bottles, bags and wrappings.
The Mediterranean Sea's biological richness and economic
importance means plastic pollution is particularly hazardous, say Spanish
researchers.
Plastic has been found in the stomachs of fish, birds,
turtles and whales.
Very tiny pieces of plastic have also been found in oysters
and mussels grown on the coasts of northern Europe.
Given the biological wealth and concentration of economic
activities in the Mediterranean Sea, the effects of plastic pollution on marine
and human life could be particularly relevant in this plastic accumulation
zoneAndres Cozar , University of Cadiz, Spain.
"We identify the Mediterranean Sea as a great accumulation
zone of plastic debris," said Andres Cozar of the University of Cadiz in
Puerto Real, Spain, and colleagues.
"Marine plastic pollution has spread to become a
problem of planetary scale after only half a century of widespread use of
plastic materials, calling for urgent management strategies to address this
problem."
Plastic is accumulating in the Mediterranean Sea at a
similar scale to that in oceanic gyres, the rotating ocean currents in the
Indian Ocean, North Atlantic, North Pacific, South Atlantic and South Pacific,
the study found.
A high abundance of plastic has also been found in other
seas, including the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea and Barents Sea in the
Arctic Ocean.
Microplastics
Commenting on the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE,
Dr David Morritt of Royal Holloway, University of London, said scientists were
particularly concerned about very small pieces of plastic (less than 5mm in
length), known as microplastics.
Tourism and fishing are key industries around the
Mediterranean Sea
The study found more than 80% of plastic items in the
Mediterranean Sea fell into this category.
"These very small plastic fragments lend themselves to
being swallowed by marine species, potentially releasing chemicals into the gut
from the plastics," Dr Morritt, of the School of Biological Sciences, told
BBC News.
"Plastic doesn't degrade in the environment - we need
to think much more carefully about how we dispose of it, recycle it, and reduce
our use of it."
The Mediterranean Sea represents less than 1% of the global
ocean area, but is important in economic and ecological terms.
It contains between 4% and 18% of all marine species, and
provides tourism and fishing income for Mediterranean countries.
"Given the biological wealth and concentration of
economic activities in the Mediterranean Sea, the effects of plastic pollution
on marine and human life could be particularly relevant in this plastic
accumulation zone," said Dr Cozar.
Source:bbs.com/ http://www.plosone.org/