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Environmental Science SeriesMicroplastics: Knowledge, measures and solutions
20 October 2021
Welcome
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Microplastics
Dr Mark BrowneSenior Lecturer, University of New South Wales20 October 2021
Sources, fate and impacts of textile fibres to the ecosystem and methods to mitigate these problems
Mark Anthony Browne
Twitter @manthonybrowne
Email: [email protected]
COLLABORATORS
PARTNERS
HUMANS ENGINEER PRODUCTS FROM POLYMERS
AnimalVegetable Petrochemical
Poorly designed products and managed waste allow polymers to contaminate environment
Global problem
poles equator
mountain oceanic depths
450% INCREASE IN OCEANIC MICROPLASTIC
Thompson et al. (2004) Science
0.2
0
0.1
*
*
MICROPLASTIC CAN BIOACCUMULATE
gut
Microplastic
haemocyte
Microplastic
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
3.0 9.6Size (µm)
No
. par
ticl
es
µl h
aem
oly
mp
h -1
**
Browne et al. (2008) Environmental Science & Technology
MICROPLASTIC AS A CHEMICAL VECTOR
Priority pollutants• 78% US• 61% EU
Plastics sorb pollutants at concentrations: • 100 times: sediments • 1 million times: water
Rochman, Browne et al. (2013) Nature
Phenanthrene TriclosanPBDE-47Nonylphenol
INGESTING MICROPLASTIC CAN MOVE CHEMICALS INTO TISSUES
0
2
4
6
8
10 Nonylphenol
μg
g-1±
S.E
.
Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut0
100
200
300
400
500 PBDE-47
μg
g-1±
S.E
.
Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut
0
1000
2000
3000 Triclosan
μg
g-1±
S.E
.
Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5 Phenanthrene
μg
g-1±
S.E
.
Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut
Browne et al. (2013) Current Biology
MICROPLASTIC AND/OR SORBED CHEMICALS CAUSE BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS
0
1
2
3 Less feeding
Ca
sts
pe
r w
orm
0
25
50
75
100 Mortality
% S
urv
ivo
rsh
ip
0
10
20
30
0
500
1000
Less immunity
Oxidative stress
Zym
osa
n(1
05)
ph
ag
ocyto
se
dp
er
g c
oe
lom
ocyte
Oxid
ative
sta
tus o
f
co
elo
mic
flu
id
μmolF
e2
+p
er
L
0
1
10
100
<1 1 – 10 10-1000 1000 - 10’000
No
. of
item
s (L
og
10)
per
0.2
5 m
2
Size (mm)
Browne et al. (2010) Environmental Science & Technology
OVER 65% PLASTIC IS COMPOSED OF MICROPLASTIC, MOSTLY FIBRES
>500% MORE PLASTIC FIBRES: DOWN-WIND HABITATS
0
6
2
4
Small Medium Great
Depositional gradient
No.
pla
stic f
ibre
s
50 m
L-1
sedim
ent +
S.E
.
Browne et al. (2010) Environmental Science & Technology
down-windup-wind
PLASTIC FIBRES CAN CAUSE LETHAL AND SUB-LETHAL BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS TO TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC FAUNA
Browne, Charlesworth et al. (in prep.)
1-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
Plastic fibres per
250 mL-1 sediment
Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology
Log (No. of people km-1)
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0Log
(No
. of
pla
stic
fib
res
25
0 m
L-1 s
edim
ent)
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
F1,16 = 8.36, P<0.05, r2 = 0.34
Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology
MOSTLY POLYESTER, ACRYLIC & NYLON FIBRES
MORE PLASTIC FIBRES WHERE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE
MARINE HABITATS THAT RECEIVE SEWAGE SLUDGE CONTAIN >250% MORE PLASTIC FIBRES
North Sea English Channel
No
. pla
stic
fib
res
50
g-1
sed
imen
t +S
.E.
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
Disposal-site
Reference-sites (>10 km)
(F1,16 = 4.50, P < 0.05) Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology
**
SEWAGE EFFLUENT IS CONTAMINATED WITH PLASTIC FIBRES
No
. Pla
stic
fib
res
L-1ef
flu
ent
+S.E
.
0
1
2
Treatment plants
Australian treatment plants: all fibres
• Polyester (67%)
• Acrylic (17%)
• Nylon (16%)
Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology
PROPORTIONS OF POLYMERS MATCH THOSE USED IN CLOTHING
CLOTHES MADE FROM FIBRES, YARNS AND FABRICS
Fibres are are twisted into yarns
Yarns joined to form fabrics
Fabrics stitched together into clothes
COULD FIBRES COME FROM WASHING CLOTHES?
Fleeces: > 180% more
Single garment shed millions of fibres per wash
Problem for circular economy of plastic fibres
Blanket Fleece Shirt
No
. fib
res
L-1ef
flu
ent
0
100
200
300
400
Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology
CAN WE MITIGATE POLLUTION BY CLOTHING FIBRES BY AVOIDING, INTERCEPTING OR RE-ENGINEERING?
LAUNDROMAT TO TEST METHODS OF REDUCING EMISSIONS
FILTERS MARKETED WITHOUT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF EFFICACY DESPITE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
INTERCEPTION: TESTING AND RE-ENGINEERING FILTERS FOR WASHING MACHINES
Browne et al. 2020 Plos One
FILTERS REDUCE EMISSIONS OF CLOTHING FIBRES TO SEWAGE BUT EFFICIENCY VARIES WITH PORE-SIZE AND POLYMER
0
10
20
30
40
50
No filter 2 mm filter 150 μm filter
0
25
50
75
No filter 2 mm filter 150 μm filter
Reduction of cotton fibres emitted to sewage (%)
Reduction of polyester debris emitted to sewage (%
Browne et al. 2020 Plos One
AVOID: NATURAL, PLASTIC & RECYCLED FIBRES?
PLASTIC FIBRES PERSIST LONGER THAN ANIMAL AND PLANT FIBRES IN MARINE HABITATS
Beloe, Charlesworth, Browne et al. (in prep)
RE-ENGINEERING GARMENTS
NEW NEWTHODS FOR QUANTIFYING NATURAL AND PLASTIC FIBRES
NOVEL CONFOCAL METHOD TO QUANTIFY FIBRES
Tedesco & Browne 2021 Chemical Engineering
NEW ELLIPSOIDAL METHODS TO ESTIMATE MASS OF FIBRES
Circle + void (P < 0.001***) Solid circle (P < 0.001***) Ellipse (ns)
Most authors estimate mass of fibres using circular equation
Tedesco & Browne 2021
CURRENT SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING CELLULOSEDO NOT WORK
Tedesco & Browne 2021
Cotton Linen Ramie JuteTedesco & Browne 2021
CONCLUSION• Understanding and managing contamination and pollution by polymers
requires linked structured surveys and factorial experiments to determine patterns and processes.
• Most surveys do not provide robust data to allow comparative assessments, examine trends or be sure about the quantities of polymers being encountered.
Scope of problem
Options for managing problem
Chosen actions to solve problem
Was problem solved?
Analysis & synthesis
Surveys
Experiments
ROBUST SCIENCE ENABLES PROBLEMS OF POLYMERS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND MANAGED
Microplastics
Dr Denise HardestyPrincipal Research Scientist, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere20 October 2021
Australia’s National Science Agency
Plastic Waste –Everybody’s business
Britta Denise Hardesty| 20 October 2021
(Micro) Plastic pollution management, policy and regulation:Tackling a transboundary problem with multiple approaches
44 |
The problem
Plastic waste will soon NOT be exported, it is contaminating our lands and seas, and challenging our industries and citizens.
It’s everywhere, all the time, increasing.
Trans-boundary problems need integrated responses
Governance
Research
Waste managementConsumers
Producers
LegislationRegulationIncentivesEducation
Burden of proofBest practices
InvestmentBetter materials
Reduce, Re-use, RecycleResponsible disposal
AwarenessClean-up
Integrated management
Litter capture & removal
Zero wasteUse as resource
Marine scienceHealth science
Environmental scienceCitizen and social science
Worm et al. 2018
Has anything changed over the last decade?
46 |
Global releases of plastic waste into the World's oceans
Global Plastic Trends
3% of all plastic on the market
will end up in the ocean.
32% of single-use packaging escapes collection systems
Sources: WEF, 2016; UN Environment, 2018; The Challenges of measuring plastic pollution, 2019; Ellen Macarthur foundation NPEC, 2017
Global plastic leakage is estimated
at 8 Mt/y(range: 4.8 - 12.7)
$13 billion in financial damage to marine ecosystems from plastic waste (yearly estimate )
47 |
Trends
8
2
0.6
1.5
Global plastic leakage from four main sources (Mt/y)
Coastal mismanagedplastic waste
Inland rivers
Lost fishing gear
Source: Geyer et al. (2017); WEF, 2016; UN Environment, 2018; The Challenges of measuring plastic pollution, 2019
141
42
38
37
1713 13
Plastic waste generation by sector Mt/y
Packaging
Textiles
Other sectors
Consumer & InstitutionalproductsTransportation
Cumulative global plastic production
Cost of inaction in $BNs
Plastic production has a doubling time of 11 years
Plastic is increasing in the ocean, ~ 1.5% per year.
Australia’s Coast
48 |
What do we know about plastic impacts?
• Economic (tourism & fisheries)• Navigation hazard• Invasive species transport• Wildlife entanglement & ingestion• Chemical/toxicological effects• Well-being/community
50 |
Where does our trash end up?
Most stays local
Matches observations• Consumer items near cities
• Marine users in remote areas
What drives debris loads?Urbanization
• Distance to public transport, nearest road• Regional and local population• Regional and local road density by type
Land use• Reserves, Agriculture, Housing, Water, etc.
Socio-economics• Economic advantage/disadvantage• Education and employment levels• Economic resources
Britta Denise Hardesty
What do we know?
What do we need to know?
52 |
53 | 53 |
State of Knowledge• Threat Abatement Plan (TAP)
• National coastal survey
• Risk/threats to marine fauna
• Emerging priorities project(s)
How to decide? When do we act?
Hardesty & Wilcox 2017
Ghana – flooding during rainy season plastic clogging drains, people die, President bans plastic less than 20 microns thick
On what do we base policies?
55 | 55 |
European Union
Northern Fulmar
How much is a nanogram?… a billionth of a gram
6.6 grams
56 | 56 |
• Where to NOW?• Standardization; national, consistent approach
• Understand policy effectiveness
• Quantify leakage through waterways
Monitoring waste inputs and evaluating existing and potential responses
• Emerging issues?• GPTs/stormwater drains?
• Post-covid recovery for Australia?
• Waste Export ban
Timely, relevant, solutions-oriented & scalable
How do we reduce >80% of plastic waste entering the environment by 2025?
57 |
ENDINGPLASTICWASTE
Logistics of packaging
Reducing information cost
Generating value
Climbing the ladder of fate
Revolutionise packaging
Aiming to make 100% of packaging in Australia reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
Behaviour change
Wastemanagement innovation
Supporting best practice
Information for decision-making
Incentives -plastic as a commodity.
Development & implementation of national standards.
Apply circular economy approaches.
Better data, information and decision-support tools.
59 |
60 |
Opportunities for success:
▪ Target sites with high debris load sites (hotspots)
▪ Employ incentives, enforcement, education in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage
▪ Social context is key for low-cost debris/litter reduction
▪ Cost-benefit analysis and optimisation of investments (e.g. litter traps in waterways)
▪ National/international focus on how well policies work
‘If you measure it, you can manage it’
Understand it - Design for it
Participate in it - Influence it
Use it - Circularize it (reuse)
62 |
Springboard for policy development, evaluation & national monitoring
Choose our future
www.csiro.au/plastics
Britta Denise Hardesty CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
t +61 3 6232 5276e [email protected] https://www.csiro.au/showcase/Ending-plastic-waste
https://research.csiro.au/marinedebris
Questions?
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