{"id":244,"date":"2018-04-23T11:06:09","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T11:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=244"},"modified":"2018-05-29T23:41:42","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T23:41:42","slug":"sticky-tape-and-simulations-help-assess-microplastic-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/244\/sticky-tape-and-simulations-help-assess-microplastic-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Sticky tape and simulations help assess microplastic risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Natalie Grover<\/p>\n

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Tiny pieces of plastic, now ubiquitous in the marine environment, have long been a cause of concern for their ability to absorb toxic substances and potentially penetrate the food chain. Now scientists are beginning to understand the level of threat posed to life, by gauging the extent of marine accumulation and tracking the movement of these contaminants.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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So-called microplastics are described as particles sized about 5 mm or smaller. Originating from various sources, some, called microbeads, are intentionally included as exfoliating components in cosmetics. Others emerge from normal wear and tear on the products. The majority of microplastics, however, originate from the disintegration of larger pieces of plastic waste such as packaging material on land, at coastal sites or in the sea.<\/p>\n

These particles are considered the most common form of marine litter. However,\u00a0the European Food Safety Authority<\/a>\u00a0says that many questions remain regarding the human health effects of microplastics and nanoplastics \u2013 particles with a diameter smaller than one-thousandth of a millimetre.<\/p>\n

Dr Ana Catarino, a postdoctoral research associate at the UK-based Natural Environment Research Council, says there is considerable data indicating that organisms ingest\u00a0microplastics. However, studies demonstrate that the concentration of microplastics in the environment is several orders of magnitude lower than most tested concentrations in the laboratory, indicating that the harmful effects could be minimal, she said.<\/p>\n

\u2018Microplastics may accumulate in the gut and potentially interfere with processes like nutrient uptake or the passage of waste \u2013 but studies also showed they may just be\u00a0expelled\u00a0without any negative effects.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Catarino served as project researcher for the MARMICROTOX project, which was conducted between 2014 and 2016 to assess the abundance and type of microplastics in wild mussels collected from a remote coastal location in Scotland. The researchers carried out tests to check whether toxic substances associated with particles are transferred into\u00a0fish such as trout, and how microplastics affect mussels.<\/p>\n

Preliminary results suggested that toxic substances associated with the surface of microplastics might be absorbed by mussels and fish when they ingest particles. However, research into understanding how this exposure to toxicity compares to plastic concentrations in different environments \u2013 such as contaminated food \u2013 needs to be conducted, Dr Catarino said.<\/p>\n

Plastic fibres<\/strong><\/p>\n

The researchers also observed microplastics, mostly fibres, in their mussel\u00a0samples. Following this, the team went on to investigate the risk of humans ingesting particles via mussels to the ingestion of plastic fibres from household dust.<\/p>\n

After cooking \u2018in our kitchens, we left open petri dishes with sticky tape to collect dust fallout in the surrounding air.\u00a0We compared the amounts of plastic fibres in this dust with the quantities we found in mussels,\u2019 Dr Catarino said.<\/p>\n

In an unexpected turn of events, data from the study indicated that while a regular UK consumer\u00a0may ingest 100 plastic particles a year from eating mussels, their average exposure to plastic particles during meals from household dust is well over 10,000 per year. However, even the risk of such a level of exposure to human health is unknown, she added.<\/p>\n

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‘You could say 99% of the plastic is missing.’<\/p>\n

Dr\u00a0Erik Van Sebille,\u00a0Utrecht\u00a0University, the Netherlands<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

In order to gauge the level of health risk, it is imperative to target areas where plastic is most prevalent to understand how animals actually encounter plastic, said Dr\u00a0Erik Van Sebille,\u00a0associate professor of oceanography at Utrecht\u00a0University in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

\u2018We just don\u2019t know that yet, because we don\u2019t know where the plastic is.\u2019<\/p>\n

To support research into the impact of microplastics on aquatic life, biodiversity and human health, scientists including Dr Van Sebille are looking into where plastic ends up in the ocean.<\/p>\n

\u2018The best estimates we have are from the surface of the ocean, in terms of floating plastic, and that is probably just 1% or so of all the plastic we think has ever gone into the ocean. So you could say 99% of the plastic is missing,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s bit like accounting, so much is going in, so much is going out. Where\u2019s the rest?\u2019<\/p>\n

3D map<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Van Sebille is involved in the TOPIOS.org project, which is in the process of developing a 3D map of all the plastic in the ocean, combining a circulation model with various observations of its whereabouts\u00a0across the earth’s oceans.<\/p>\n

Three decades ago, scientists created a virtual computer simulation of how carbon dioxide is carried by the wind, Dr Van Sebille said. One year into the ambitious five-year TOPIOS.org project, he said \u2018I\u2019m proposing to do exactly the same within the ocean for plastic.\u2019<\/p>\n

Because the oceans are are massive, there may not be enough observations\u00a0taken so far by scientists across the world to understand which areas are at high risk of pollution. Even\u00a0so, TOPIOS\u00a0could provide valuable insight into which regions require more observation, said Dr Van Sebille.<\/p>\n

It is estimated that more than\u00a0150 million tonnes<\/a>\u00a0of plastics have accumulated in the world\u2019s oceans,\u00a0and research shows\u00a0that between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes was added in 2010. A handful of European nations including the UK and the Netherlands, in addition to North America, are either considering or have enforced bans on plastic microbeads typically found in cosmetics and personal care products.<\/p>\n

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Just over one third of microplastics globally come from washing clothes. Image credit – Horizon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Originally published on Horizon<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Natalie Grover Tiny pieces of plastic, now ubiquitous in the marine environment, have long been a cause of concern for their ability to absorb toxic substances and potentially penetrate the food chain. Now scientists are beginning to understand the level of threat posed to life, by gauging the extent of marine accumulation and tracking … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,12],"tags":[4,75,125,79,24,78],"class_list":["post-244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-energy-environment","category-health","tag-environment","tag-oceans","tag-pollution","tag-research","tag-science","tag-sustainability"],"yoast_head":"\nSticky tape and simulations help assess microplastic risk - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/244\/sticky-tape-and-simulations-help-assess-microplastic-risk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sticky tape and simulations help assess microplastic risk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Natalie Grover Tiny pieces of plastic, now ubiquitous in the marine environment, have long been a cause of concern for their ability to absorb toxic substances and potentially penetrate the food chain. 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By Michaela Nesvarova Beneath the deep blue waters of Tenerife lies a dramatic seascape shaped by ancient volcanic eruptions. Submerged lava tubes and jagged basalt formations create an underwater world unlike any other.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"EU-funded researchers are regenerating marine forest ecosystems, supporting their crucial role in maintaining ocean biodiversity and resilience. \u00a9 Johan Holmdahl, Shutterstock.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/05.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/05.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/05.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/05.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":145,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/145\/raising-ocean-literacy-levels-could-protect-marine-environment\/","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":1},"title":"Raising ocean literacy levels could protect marine environment","author":"Joe Dodgshun","date":"February 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Hundreds of kilometres away from any sea, ocean or sandy beach, students from countries such as the Czech Republic have been discovering their connection with the marine world. While Europe\u2019s landlocked states are understandably not so preoccupied with seas and oceans, camps run by members of\u00a0Ecsite\u00a0\u2014 the European network of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Getting people involved in local community projects can help them engage with how the oceans are changing.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Burning_palms_beach_rockpools_at_sunrise.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Burning_palms_beach_rockpools_at_sunrise.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Burning_palms_beach_rockpools_at_sunrise.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Burning_palms_beach_rockpools_at_sunrise.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Burning_palms_beach_rockpools_at_sunrise.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/Burning_palms_beach_rockpools_at_sunrise.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":214,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/214\/garbage-collecting-aqua-drones-and-jellyfish-filters-for-cleaner-oceans\/","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":2},"title":"Garbage-collecting aqua drones and jellyfish filters for cleaner oceans","author":"Catherine Collins","date":"April 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A Roomba-like ocean trash collector modelled on a whale shark and a microplastic filter made from jellyfish slime could prevent litter from entering our oceans and help tackle a growing problem that poses threats to wildlife, deters tourists and impacts on coastal economies. The\u00a0cost of sea litter in the EU\u00a0has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"It is estimated that more than 150 million tonnes of plastics have already accumulated in the world's oceans.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/04\/sea_garbage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/04\/sea_garbage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/04\/sea_garbage.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/04\/sea_garbage.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/04\/sea_garbage.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":389,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/389\/could-symbiotic-microbes-help-ecosystems-survive-global-warming\/","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":3},"title":"Could symbiotic microbes help ecosystems survive global warming?","author":"Steve Gillman","date":"July 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Studies of the relationships between microbes and the organisms they live on are revealing how plants and animals could adapt to climate change. With the world facing a global warming somewhere between\u00a01 and 5.5 degrees Celsius, organisms that have evolved to thrive in specific environments need to adapt or they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Symbiotic bacteria might have helped coffee plants adapt to climate change in the past.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/coffeeplant.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/coffeeplant.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/coffeeplant.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/coffeeplant.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/coffeeplant.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/coffeeplant.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1964,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1964\/beach-bots-sea-raptors-and-marine-toolsets-mobilised-to-get-rid-of-marine-litter\/","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":4},"title":"Beach bots, sea \u2018raptors\u2019 and marine toolsets mobilised to get rid of marine litter","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"February 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Often quickly disposed of but lasting in the environment for tens to hundreds of years, plastic litter pollutes our seas worldwide, creating a serious threat to wildlife and contributing to climate change as they break down. \u00a0 \u2018It\u2019s the scale of it \u2013 it\u2019s a global problem. You can guarantee\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/02\/Feb-2-photo-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":933,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/933\/magnets-are-being-used-to-extract-algal-molecules-for-the-beauty-bioplastics-industries\/","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":5},"title":"Magnets are being used to extract algal molecules for the beauty, bioplastics industries","author":"Catherine Collins","date":"August 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Entrepreneurs in the aquaculture sector face a problem \u2013 extracting all the valuable molecules from seaweed and algal cells is still really difficult. But marine enzymes and magnets are now making it easier to remove precious molecules and can even turn microalgae into magnetically-guided \u2018vehicles\u2019 for targeted drug delivery. Algal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/08\/seaweeds.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/08\/seaweeds.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/08\/seaweeds.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/08\/seaweeds.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/08\/seaweeds.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/08\/seaweeds.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}