PLASTICS found in Port Hacking during a Danish tall ship trawl will contribute to scientific research into the effects of different types of plastics on the food chain and marine ecosystem.
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) scientists chartered the tall ship Yukon to trawl from Hobart to Sydney. The ship was in the Port Hacking river system on September 25 before moving to Sydney Harbour.
The project is led by Richard Banati, who with colleagues, released several pieces of research on plastics in the environment.
On board the ship, Professor Banati and Professor John Dodson shared their knowledge on plastic waste in the marine environment with a number of Sutherland Shire and St George school principals, scientist, teachers, politicians and local residents.
Early last year research performed in collaboration with Jennifer Laver from Monash University was released concerning feathers of seabirds. This confirmed the presence of plastics and chemicals in the food chain.
"Elements that were found in the bird's feather were similar to those found in plastics in its gut, raising the possibility that potentially toxic contaminants, such as cadmium and others, transfer into the body after ingestion and remain there after excretion," Professor Banati said.
He has since released findings that include: plastics floating in the oceans have a varied composition and a complex degradation process, making them potentially more hazardous than previously thought; during the process of degrading, plastics, including biodegradable ones, break down into smaller and smaller pieces, meaning their surface area increases dramatically; greater surface area means greater interaction with the environment as bits are sucked up by the biosphere and ecosystems to enter the human food chain.
"When we find contaminants in seabirds they are most likely in humans as well," he said.
The samples collected will be taken back to ANSTO and analysed.
Professor Banati said understanding the behaviour of plastics allowed accountability and "sustainable choices".
"We can stop nonsensical behaviours which have crept into the culture," he said. "A good start would be the reduction of single use items, such as water bottles."
Findings included:
- Plastics floating in the oceans have a complex degradation process which makes them potentially more, rather than less, hazardous than previously thought.
- The process of degradation is made more complex by the fact that plastics, many of which have been recycled already, are a mix of many components.
- During the process of degrading, plastics, including biodegradable plastics, break down into smaller and smaller pieces, meaning their surface area increases dramatically.
- Greater surface area means greater interaction with the environment, which means degraded plastics – including biodegradable plastics - both release more toxins such as cadmium and mercury into the environment, and attract and absorb more.
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