Author: dianagr

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Plastic Eating Worms Could Solve Pollution

‘These plastic-eating worms could be the solution to pollution’. – Seriously, Science? (2015, November 5). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/seriouslyscience/2015/11/05/these-plastic-eating-worms-could-be-the-solution-to-pollution/#.VlKnW6I5RRk

Waxworms, otherwise known as Indian mealmoths, have been discovered as being capable of chewing and digesting Polyethylene films. These worm’s stomachs contain two bacterial strains, Enterobacter asburiae YT1 and Bacillus sp. YP1. Over a 28 day period, these bacteria degraded a microscopic amount of the plastic films, which demonstrates their ability to degrade the previously dubbed “unbiodegradable plastic”.

After reading about all the pollution in the world, and how it is negatively effecting sea creatures and their ecosystems, discovering the existence of these worms was a relief. Although the research conducted upon them is just beginning, the bacteria in their guts may hold a solution to at least some of the world’s plastic pollution problem. Hopefully, researchers can learn more about these bacteria and discover a way to use them on plastic in order to degrade it, so it doesn’t sit in the ocean, getting eaten by animals, ruining the environment.

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Sea Birds Consuming Plastic

CSIRO Australia. (2015, August 31). Plastic in 99 percent of seabirds by 2050. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 22, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150831163739.htm

In a study conducted by Dr Chris Wilcox, Dr Denise Hardesty, and Dr Erik van Sebille, over 60% of seabird species were found to have plastic in their stomach. Back in 1960, plastic was only found in the stomachs of less than 5% of individual birds, which rose to 80% by 2010. Based on this data, researchers predict that by 2050 approximately 99% of the world’s seabird species. Birds eat plastic because it is brightly colored and so is mistaken for food, and once it has entered their system can negatively affect the seabird’s health and the health of the ecosystem.

It’s unbelievable how many birds have consumed plastic, as well as how much plastic there has to be in the ocean for this many animals to consume it. This phenomenon is similar to that of the many species of sea turtle that are also eating plastic litter in the ocean. This pollution will eventually loop back to humans, harming us as we destroy the environment and eat animals who have ingested plastic. This shows the need for international laws about production and consumption, which will at least begin to limit humans’ pollution.

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World’s Sea Turtle Population Consuming Plastic

University of Queensland. (2015, September 14). World’s turtles face plastic deluge danger. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 22, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150914102741.htm

According to an international study conducted by the University of Queensland, Australia, about 52% of the sea turtles in the world have ingested plastic or another kind of human generated garbage. Plastic ingestion is a serious health issue for sea turtles, whose guts can be blocked or pierced by litter, leading to their deaths. The amount of pollution entering the ocean leads to a higher amount of turtles that ingest the trash. This high ingestion rate could also spread to other marine animals, such as fish.

It seems that pollution, and the capitalist/consumerist economy and society that leads to high levels of waste, is not only clogging the ocean and creating islands of garbage, but is also beginning to intensely effect multiple species of sea creatures, including the world’s sea turtle population. This study is shocking, because it shows how the Western lifestyle especially is killing specific species, killing the food web, and killing the ecosystem. The study above should serve as a wake up call to individuals as well as governments, who need to waste less, and pass laws ensuring that pollution is curbed in order to stop contributing to these animals’ deaths.

 

 

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Plastic Litter found in Arctic

Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. (2015, October 22). Plastic litter taints the sea surface, even in the Arctic: For the first time, researchers survey litter on sea surface at such high latitudes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 22, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151022111337.htm

For the first time, plastic has been discovered at the sea surface of the Arctic by researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute. While on an Arctic expedition, researchers tallied how many pieces of litter they saw between East Greenland and Svalbard. They counted a total of 31 pieces, a relatively low amount of trash compared to the rest of the world, but a number that confirms the existence of trash in even the far reaches of the globe. It is unclear how litter managed to travel so far north from human inhabited areas that put out pollution.

It’s terrifying to hear that the Arctic, which one thinks of as pristine and virtually untouched by humans, is showing the effects of pollution. Although we recognize that improperly disposed of human goods taint many of the world’s bodies of water, and consider it to be a fact of life (which is an outlook that should be critically examined), it is still shocking to discover that the furthest reaches of the globes are being polluted. The fact that even the places that few humans have traveled to are being affected by consumerism and human production makes a deep impression.

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Plastic in China’s Table Salt

Everts, S. (2015, October 29). Plastic Contaminates Table Salt in China. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/plastic-contaminates-table-salt-in-china/

Table salt in China has been impregnated with tiny plastic particles. After testing 15 different brands of salt found in Chinese grocery stores, researchers found small pieces of polyethylene terephthalate, the common plastic used in water bottles, as well as polyethylene, cellophane and other types of plastic. Salt from the ocean had over 250 particles of plastic per pound of sea salt, the highest level of plastic contamination. This is due to the high levels of plastic floating around in the water from which the salt is taken.

It had never occurred to me that the high level of pollution in the ocean would lead to plastic particles appearing in table salt. The presence of plastic in a product that meant to be eaten seems as though it would be a huge health hazard, one that will only worsen as the ocean becomes more polluted. As more plastic is dumped into the ocean, the higher level of plastic there will be in salt, something that the Chinese manufacturers, consumers, and government will have to address before people’s health begins to degrade due to their consumption of plastic.

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Photocatalyst’s Light Used to Degrade BPA

American Institute of Physics (AIP). (2015, July 21). Degrading BPA with visible light and a new hybrid photocatalyst. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 2, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150721111430.htm

BPA is a popular substance used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastic that has been proven in recent studies to be harmful to both the health of humans and that of the environment. Because of this, manufacturers are phasing out BPA from their products, and it is left to (not) decompose. However, exposing the BPA to a hybrid photocatalyst that would break it down using light could solve the problem of its durability. This would be used to rid water supplies of BPA, as well as other contaminating substances.

This hybrid photocatalyst is a fantastic discovery that is not only useful in breaking down harmful BPA, but could also clean the world’s water of both BPA and other unhealthy contaminants. If and when the research has been tested and developed enough to begin using it on water or plastic, the world could quickly see a change in its solid and liquid pollution level, which could better the overall quality of life, and benefit the environment.

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Egg Whites: the New Antibacterial Plastic Ingredient

University of Georgia. (2015, March 27). Recipe for antibacterial plastic: Plastic plus egg whites. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 2, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150327201706.htm

Bioplastics made from protein sources could potentially be utilized in medical care, such as dressings and catheter tubes, and could also be used to package food. This would be a significant improvement on petroleum-based plastics. Scientists tested whey, albumin, and soy proteins in their research, and found that albumin (a protein in egg whites) had antibacterial properties when mixed with glycerol. Moving forward, the researchers will analyze albumin’s potential uses in the medical and food industries.

Out of all the possible sources of protein to be used in a non-traditional plastic, egg whites are not the first option that a person would think of. Surprisingly, they seem to be a viable option, that could help to phase petroleum-based plastic out of multiple products in which it is used, which would greatly decrease our use of the long lasting pollutant.

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Risky Replacements: Phthalates may be harmful to health

NYU Langone Medical Center. (2015, July 8). Phthalates: ‘Safer’ replacements for harmful chemical in plastics may be as risky to human health. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 22, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150708160531.htm

In multiple studies conducted by the NYU Langone Medical Center, the chemicals di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) were linked to both a rise in diabetes and blood pressure in children. These chemicals, used to replace di-2-ethylhexylphlatate (DEHP), are used in the manufacturing of plastic, and were originally thought to be a healthier alternative to DEHP. Now, studies conducted on hundreds of adolescents show that they have similar effects to DEHP, and are not as safe as was originally thought.

This article is very unsettling, because it exposes the need for testing chemicals for their effects before using them in mass production. Scientists thought that by switching from one chemical to another, the level of danger in certain types of plastic would be lowered. Now that the dangers of both DIDP and DINP and been revealed, hopefully scientists will be able to find another alternative, and will test it for the repercussions before giving an uninformed thumbs up.

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Amount of Plastic Entering the Ocean Finally Calculated

University of Georgia. (2015, February 12). Magnitude of plastic waste going into the ocean calculated: 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans per year. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 23, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150212154422.htm

In a study conducted by Jenna Jambeck at the University of Georgia, the amount of plastic entering the ocean in 2010 was found to be between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons. The study used a large model of all sources of the oceans debris, although this only includes the visible surface plastic. The amount of waste contained in the ocean is staggeringly high, because of the improper solid waste management in most coastal areas.

As someone who lives on the coast, and inadvertently contributes to the pollution of the ocean, I’m shocked by the sheer amount of waste that humans generate and discard into our environment. Now that it is possible to calculate the amount of plastic going into the water (although it’s an estimate), it illuminates how much harder we need to work in order to clean the ocean and stop generating this unsustainable amount of waste. Personally, I will be hyperaware of all the plastic I’m using, and by being conscious will hopefully make some small impact.

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The Harmful Effects of Microbeads

The Editorial Board. (2015, August 21). Microbeads, the Tiny Orbs Threatening Our Water. The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2015 from

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/opinion/microbeads-the-tiny-orbs-threatening-our-water.html?_r=0

Microbeads are a miniscule type of plastic used as an abrasive in cosmetics, which are both harmful to the ecosystem and nearly impossible to destroy. Once used and washed down the drain, the water containing them is sent to wastewater plants that are often not equipped with the technology needed to extract the tiny particles. Unobstructed, most microbeads arrive at large bodies of water, attract toxic substances, and become integrated into the food chain. Fish consume the plastic and are stunted or poisoned by the toxins. To prevent the spreading of microbeads, either wastewater plants must adopt the machinery required to siphon out the plastic, states must ban cosmetic companies’ use them, or consumers must boycott products containing them.

This article shows that even products we consider necessities, such as cosmetics, can harm the environment without our knowledge. Microbeads are not a widely discussed phenomenon, and many people will unknowingly go their entire lives using harmful products and polluting bodies of water with this plastic. It also highlights the tragic reality of cost-effectiveness: that companies, as well as the government, have the technology to extract pollution, but choose not to purchase the machinery because it is deemed too expensive. Money is valued over maintaining our environment, which is leading to its destruction at human hands.