‘The main thing we need to consider is the effects’
Millions of tonnes of plastic are thrown away every year, and only a small fraction of this waste is properly recycled.
What’s going on?
To understand how plastic pollution affects marine environments, researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution investigated deep below the ocean surface.
They found that microplastic particles accumulate in ocean gyres, swirling water masses.
For a study published in the journal ChaosResearchers Larry Pratt and Irina Rypina developed 3D models to better understand this collection of underwater microplastic particles.
The duo used a rotating cylinder filled with water to mimic how the ocean and atmosphere move at certain scales. In their setup, the cylinder rotated at a constant speed, while the upper cover could rotate at a different speed.
They determined that eddies often follow fixed, repeating paths and loop in circles. Like Popular Mechanics When observed, these eddies essentially act like tornadoes in water.
“If you throw a small particle into water at an arbitrary speed, its viscous drag motion will rapidly approach that of the liquid,” Pratt explained. expression. “So, to a first approximation, microplastic particles follow fluid trajectories.”
Why are these findings important?
Although Pratt and Rypina were able to closely mimic ocean eddies, there was a problem: Microplastics don’t necessarily move in the same way as water.
Because of their mass and size, they can lag a bit behind and disrupt the water flow as they move. This causes them to slowly deviate from the paths that pure water parcels would normally follow.
“The main thing we need to consider is the effects of small-scale turbulence,” Pratt said. “The theory is valid for spherical particles, but most microplastics in the ocean have very irregular shapes.”
“We hope that in the near future the theory will inform sampling strategies and lead to a better understanding of where plastics may accumulate.”
What is being done against plastic pollution?
According to OECD data Global Plastic ViewThe world is rapidly increasing its annual plastic production rate.
Only 9% of all plastic waste is properly recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills or littering our environment. But global efforts to combat plastic pollution continue; This includes ongoing efforts to introduce legislation. UN Global Plastics Agreement.
Countries are also enacting regional policies to reduce the prevalence of single-use plastics.
“Increasing awareness of plastic pollution in recent years has alerted the public and paved the way for stronger policy intervention,” said OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann.
“Many OECD countries and emerging economies are implementing policies specifically aimed at reducing negative environmental impacts associated with different stages of the plastic life cycle.”
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