NC Coastal Federation, partners talk combatting microplastic pollution

Plastic Ocean Project Executive Director Bonnie Monteleone, right, speaks Wednesday about microplastic pollution during a N.C. Coastal Federation’s online forum. (NCCF graphic)

NEWPORT — Plastic pollution is a widespread problem throughout the world’s oceans and waterways, and environmentalists encourage people, businesses and governments to all take action.

The N.C. Coastal Federation, a Carteret County-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting the state’s coastal environment, hosted an online forum Thursday on microplastic pollution, and more than 300 attendees registered worldwide.

Microplastic is plastic that has broken down into pieces no bigger than 5 milimeters. Studies have found it polluting vast amounts of the oceans and inland water bodies, resulting in people and wildlife ingesting it, which can be hazardous to health.

NCCF Executive Director Todd Miller said a big part of the solution is raising public awareness of microplastic pollution.

“We’re still in the early stages of exposing this issue to the public,” he said. “We’re at the state where we know the issue is spreading.”

Mr. Miller also said microplastic pollution is tied to a lot of coastal issues the federation has been dealing with.

“Storm debris is a major issue,” he said. “As we’ve talked about coastal resiliency…in North Carolina, microplastics are just starting to come into the conversation. The important thing is going to be identifying where opportunities are to do something.”

NCCF assistant director of policy Ana Zivanovic-Nenadovic said microplastics have “permeated our lives” since the 1960s, when mass production of plastic products took off.

“It’s in the water, the air and the wildlife,” she said. “It’s a problem.”

Plastic Ocean Project Executive Director Bonnie Monteleone was one of several speakers who joined the forum. Ms. Monteleone said scientific study shows 11 million metric tons of microplastics go into the oceans annually from runoff alone, affecting 638 marine species.

“The plastics in the oceans aren’t creating an island,” she said, “it’s more creating a soup.”

Ms. Monteleno said plastics will break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but they never “break down,” that is they never lose the properties that make them plastics. Studies show microscopic plastics are being eaten by microorganisms, which are in turn eaten by larger and larger predators, causing these plastics to build up in their bodies.

“We used to intentionally dump plastic into the ocean,” Ms. Monteleno said. “An international law went into effect (in 1988). It took a good 20 years for a law to be made.”

One considerable source of microplastics are microfibers, tiny pieces of fiber that can be coated with plastic. N.C. State University graduate student Dr. Marielis Zambrano said microfibers can find their way into the water and the air through laundering synthetic fabrics, like polyester.

“You have microfibers coming off (synthetic fabrics) throughout the life cycle of a product,” NCSU Elis-Signe Olsson Professor of Pulp and Paper Science and Engineering Dr. Richard Venditti said.

Potential solutions include filters for washing machines and dryers, adding a finish to fabrics and replacing synthetic fabrics with natural, plant-based or biodegradable ones.

While all the effects of microplastics on human and animal health aren’t known, scientists have determined they are hazardous. California State Water Resources Control Board research scientist Dr. Scott Coffin said plastic additives can disrupt endocrines in humans.

He said a 2017 study showed 83% of worldwide tap water sources had microplastics in them.

“Currently there are no standardized methods to monitor (water sources) for microplastics,” he said.

As of Wednesday, a monitoring method is under development in California.

Water isn’t the only source of microplastics that get into people’s bodies.

“We find that air is likely our greatest exposure pathway,” Dr. Coffin said. “We find much of this (exposure) is indoors. We know microplastics don’t go away after you ingest them.”

Regulatory action is one part of the response to the issue of microplastics. Wake Forest University School of Law associate professor Sarah Morath said two things to consider when creating regulations to reduce microplastic pollution is what part of the lifecycle of plastics should be regulated and who should be responsible for doing the regulating.

“I think we’ve learned plastic is ubiquitous,” Ms. Morath said. “You can’t underestimate the importance of letting your elected representatives known you’re concerned about the issue.”  

Mr. Miller agreed with Ms. Morath.

“I think people have to recognize this is an issue,” he said. “I think we’re on our way. I think we need to look at opportunities in North Carolinian to create role models through legislative action…We need to support the science.”

 

Contact Mike Shutak at 252-723-7353, email mike@thenewstimes.com; or follow on Twitter at @mikesccnt.

(6) comments

David Collins

Her we go again , yet one more end of world scenario . Believe I smell money in here folks . A whole bunch of the usual mights , could happens , may happen and best of all California will lead the way on remediation . Yeah , hooray for California and call your nearest politician so they can get right on it . Quite sure they will come up with yet one more tax scheme to save us all . Let’s see , don’t drink the water eat anything from the sea or breathe . Yup that is certainly doable , is it not ?

noitall

A solution in search of a problem. "Microplastic is plastic that has broken down into pieces no bigger than 5 milimeters. Studies have found it polluting vast amounts of the oceans and inland water bodies, resulting in people and wildlife ingesting it, which can be hazardous to health."

Would it be presumptuous to reveal the source for these STUDIES as well as the Funds available and how they will be spent. Regulating fish tissue would be the absolute end of this incompetant insanity

noitall

LETS SEE THE DATA BEFORE THE GRANT CASH . OK??In its famous opinion in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. Supreme Court took a major step toward assuring that our legal system functions on the basis of sound scientific principles. The Court held that judges must apply criteria based on such principles when they decide whether to admit expert testimony. Daubert was a reaction to the well-documented problem of court decisions that are based on “junk science”—opinions offered in evidence by supposed experts but that are not supported by reliable data and analysis.

Daubert requires an expert witness to disclose the data and methodology they relied on as the basis for any opinion they propose to offer in court. The judge then decides whether the data and methodology are sufficiently reliable to support admitting the expert’s testimony. If the opposing counsel challenges the reliability of the data or methodology, the judge conducts a hearing during which opposing counsel has the opportunity to test the reliability of the data and methodology by cross-examining the witness.

noitall

“I THINK we’ve learned plastic is ubiquitous,” Ms. Morath said. “You can’t underestimate the importance of letting your elected representatives known you’re concerned about the issue.”

Mr. Miller agreed with Ms. Morath.

“I THINK people have to recognize this is an issue,” he said. “I THINK we’re on our way. I THINKI think we need to look at opportunities in North Carolinian to create role models through legislative action…We need to support the science.”

ONLY FOUR" I THINKS" SO FAR

noitall

." The N.C. Coastal Federation, a Carteret County-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting the state’s coastal environment, hosted an online forum Thursday on microplastic pollution, and more than 300 attendees registered worldwide". Searched for but found no record of this ever happening. Name the 300. WHO.WHAT,WHY,WHERE WHEN.

David Collins

Perhaps it was a stealthy forum with only those with the need to know present . Who knows , the Shadow knows and he ain’t telling .

Welcome to the discussion.

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