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Chapter 1: What is plasticrust and why is it a concern?
What is plasticrust? The latest concerning form of pollution. Thanks for asking. A March 2023 study by American scientific magazine PLOS ONE revealed how plastic pollution of the oceans has reached unprecedented levels. An estimated 2.3 million tons of plastic are now floating in the seas or have been deposited on coastlines.
Chapter 2: What materials make up plasticrust?
The figures are alarming. We know the consequences of microplastics on animal and human health. We've also seen garbage patches created in the middle of the oceans. But on the coastline, another form of pollution has appeared. Small pieces of plastic have become embedded in rocks to create what's been labelled plasti-crust.
Chapter 3: What impact could plasticrust pollution have on ecosystems?
What is this plasti-crust made of?
It's actually a new geological formation which includes an intruder among its mineral components, and that's polyethylene. Polyethylene is one of the most widely used types of plastic in the world. It can be found in packaging and construction materials, for example. Researchers on a recent expedition to the Brazilian island of Trindade identified fragments of plastic in the rocks.
They were all the more surprised given the island is a protected area that green turtles use for nesting. The researchers took samples and when they analysed them, they found that the polyethylene had come from both fishing nets and household wastes such as plastic bottles.
What impact could plastic crust pollution have?
It might not be of direct danger to humans, but it poses a great threat to the marine ecosystem. Marine biologist Ignacio Guestoso Garcia told CNN, Future studies should focus on evaluating whether marine invertebrates cohabiting in the same habitat where plastic crusts are present can assimilate plastics, and if that's the case, whether these plastics can have implications for the health of
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Chapter 4: What progress has been made on the UN treaty regarding plastic pollution?
Guestoso Garcia and his team of researchers actually first discovered plastic rust back in 2016 in Madeira, Portugal. They now estimate that about 10% of the island's rock is infested with this new plastic pollution.
What's happening with the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution?
Since November 2022, 175 countries have been working on an international treaty aimed at slowing down or ending plastic pollution, both in the oceans and on land, by the year 2040. For now, the next round of discussions is scheduled for May in Paris.
Chapter 5: How does plasticrust illustrate human impact on the environment?
But in reality, when faced with consequences like plastic crust, it's difficult to go back and undo the damage. Geologists are saying it's yet another sad example of how human activity has influenced planet Earth's natural environment. There you have it. Now you know what plastic crust is.
In under three minutes we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.