Environmental Science Series

Environmental Science SeriesMicroplastics: Knowledge, measures and solutions

20 October 2021

Welcome

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Microplastics

Dr Mark BrowneSenior Lecturer, University of New South Wales20 October 2021

Sources, fate and impacts of textile fibres to the ecosystem and methods to mitigate these problems

Mark Anthony Browne

Twitter @manthonybrowne

Email: m.browne@unsw.edu.au

COLLABORATORS

PARTNERS

HUMANS ENGINEER PRODUCTS FROM POLYMERS

AnimalVegetable Petrochemical

Poorly designed products and managed waste allow polymers to contaminate environment

Global problem

poles equator

mountain oceanic depths

450% INCREASE IN OCEANIC MICROPLASTIC

Thompson et al. (2004) Science

0.2

0

0.1

*

*

MICROPLASTIC CAN BIOACCUMULATE

gut

Microplastic

haemocyte

Microplastic

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

3.0 9.6Size (µm)

No

. par

ticl

es

µl h

aem

oly

mp

h -1

**

Browne et al. (2008) Environmental Science & Technology

MICROPLASTIC AS A CHEMICAL VECTOR

Priority pollutants• 78% US• 61% EU

Plastics sorb pollutants at concentrations: • 100 times: sediments • 1 million times: water

Rochman, Browne et al. (2013) Nature

Phenanthrene TriclosanPBDE-47Nonylphenol

INGESTING MICROPLASTIC CAN MOVE CHEMICALS INTO TISSUES

0

2

4

6

8

10 Nonylphenol

μg

g-1±

S.E

.

Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut0

100

200

300

400

500 PBDE-47

μg

g-1±

S.E

.

Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut

0

1000

2000

3000 Triclosan

μg

g-1±

S.E

.

Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5 Phenanthrene

μg

g-1±

S.E

.

Sand+PVC Body-wall Gut

Browne et al. (2013) Current Biology

MICROPLASTIC AND/OR SORBED CHEMICALS CAUSE BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS

0

1

2

3 Less feeding

Ca

sts

pe

r w

orm

0

25

50

75

100 Mortality

% S

urv

ivo

rsh

ip

0

10

20

30

0

500

1000

Less immunity

Oxidative stress

Zym

osa

n(1

05)

ph

ag

ocyto

se

dp

er

g c

oe

lom

ocyte

Oxid

ative

sta

tus o

f

co

elo

mic

flu

id

μmolF

e2

+p

er

L

0

1

10

100

<1 1 – 10 10-1000 1000 - 10’000

No

. of

item

s (L

og

10)

per

0.2

5 m

2

Size (mm)

Browne et al. (2010) Environmental Science & Technology

OVER 65% PLASTIC IS COMPOSED OF MICROPLASTIC, MOSTLY FIBRES

>500% MORE PLASTIC FIBRES: DOWN-WIND HABITATS

0

6

2

4

Small Medium Great

Depositional gradient

No.

pla

stic f

ibre

s

50 m

L-1

sedim

ent +

S.E

.

Browne et al. (2010) Environmental Science & Technology

down-windup-wind

PLASTIC FIBRES CAN CAUSE LETHAL AND SUB-LETHAL BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS TO TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC FAUNA

Browne, Charlesworth et al. (in prep.)

1-10

11-20

21-30

31-40

Plastic fibres per

250 mL-1 sediment

Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology

Log (No. of people km-1)

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0Log

(No

. of

pla

stic

fib

res

25

0 m

L-1 s

edim

ent)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

F1,16 = 8.36, P<0.05, r2 = 0.34

Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology

MOSTLY POLYESTER, ACRYLIC & NYLON FIBRES

MORE PLASTIC FIBRES WHERE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE

MARINE HABITATS THAT RECEIVE SEWAGE SLUDGE CONTAIN >250% MORE PLASTIC FIBRES

North Sea English Channel

No

. pla

stic

fib

res

50

g-1

sed

imen

t +S

.E.

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

Disposal-site

Reference-sites (>10 km)

(F1,16 = 4.50, P < 0.05) Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology

**

SEWAGE EFFLUENT IS CONTAMINATED WITH PLASTIC FIBRES

No

. Pla

stic

fib

res

L-1ef

flu

ent

+S.E

.

0

1

2

Treatment plants

Australian treatment plants: all fibres

• Polyester (67%)

• Acrylic (17%)

• Nylon (16%)

Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology

PROPORTIONS OF POLYMERS MATCH THOSE USED IN CLOTHING

CLOTHES MADE FROM FIBRES, YARNS AND FABRICS

Fibres are are twisted into yarns

Yarns joined to form fabrics

Fabrics stitched together into clothes

COULD FIBRES COME FROM WASHING CLOTHES?

Fleeces: > 180% more

Single garment shed millions of fibres per wash

Problem for circular economy of plastic fibres

Blanket Fleece Shirt

No

. fib

res

L-1ef

flu

ent

0

100

200

300

400

Browne et al. (2011) Environmental Science & Technology

CAN WE MITIGATE POLLUTION BY CLOTHING FIBRES BY AVOIDING, INTERCEPTING OR RE-ENGINEERING?

LAUNDROMAT TO TEST METHODS OF REDUCING EMISSIONS

FILTERS MARKETED WITHOUT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF EFFICACY DESPITE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

INTERCEPTION: TESTING AND RE-ENGINEERING FILTERS FOR WASHING MACHINES

Browne et al. 2020 Plos One

FILTERS REDUCE EMISSIONS OF CLOTHING FIBRES TO SEWAGE BUT EFFICIENCY VARIES WITH PORE-SIZE AND POLYMER

0

10

20

30

40

50

No filter 2 mm filter 150 μm filter

0

25

50

75

No filter 2 mm filter 150 μm filter

Reduction of cotton fibres emitted to sewage (%)

Reduction of polyester debris emitted to sewage (%

Browne et al. 2020 Plos One

AVOID: NATURAL, PLASTIC & RECYCLED FIBRES?

PLASTIC FIBRES PERSIST LONGER THAN ANIMAL AND PLANT FIBRES IN MARINE HABITATS

Beloe, Charlesworth, Browne et al. (in prep)

RE-ENGINEERING GARMENTS

NEW NEWTHODS FOR QUANTIFYING NATURAL AND PLASTIC FIBRES

NOVEL CONFOCAL METHOD TO QUANTIFY FIBRES

Tedesco & Browne 2021 Chemical Engineering

NEW ELLIPSOIDAL METHODS TO ESTIMATE MASS OF FIBRES

Circle + void (P < 0.001***) Solid circle (P < 0.001***) Ellipse (ns)

Most authors estimate mass of fibres using circular equation

Tedesco & Browne 2021

CURRENT SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING CELLULOSEDO NOT WORK

Tedesco & Browne 2021

Cotton Linen Ramie JuteTedesco & Browne 2021

CONCLUSION• Understanding and managing contamination and pollution by polymers

requires linked structured surveys and factorial experiments to determine patterns and processes.

• Most surveys do not provide robust data to allow comparative assessments, examine trends or be sure about the quantities of polymers being encountered.

Scope of problem

Options for managing problem

Chosen actions to solve problem

Was problem solved?

Analysis & synthesis

Surveys

Experiments

ROBUST SCIENCE ENABLES PROBLEMS OF POLYMERS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND MANAGED

Microplastics

Dr Denise HardestyPrincipal Research Scientist, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere20 October 2021

Australia’s National Science Agency

Plastic Waste –Everybody’s business

Britta Denise Hardesty| 20 October 2021

(Micro) Plastic pollution management, policy and regulation:Tackling a transboundary problem with multiple approaches

44 |

The problem

Plastic waste will soon NOT be exported, it is contaminating our lands and seas, and challenging our industries and citizens.

It’s everywhere, all the time, increasing.

Trans-boundary problems need integrated responses

Governance

Research

Waste managementConsumers

Producers

LegislationRegulationIncentivesEducation

Burden of proofBest practices

InvestmentBetter materials

Reduce, Re-use, RecycleResponsible disposal

AwarenessClean-up

Integrated management

Litter capture & removal

Zero wasteUse as resource

Marine scienceHealth science

Environmental scienceCitizen and social science

Worm et al. 2018

Has anything changed over the last decade?

46 |

Global releases of plastic waste into the World's oceans

Global Plastic Trends

3% of all plastic on the market

will end up in the ocean.

32% of single-use packaging escapes collection systems

Sources: WEF, 2016; UN Environment, 2018; The Challenges of measuring plastic pollution, 2019; Ellen Macarthur foundation NPEC, 2017

Global plastic leakage is estimated

at 8 Mt/y(range: 4.8 - 12.7)

$13 billion in financial damage to marine ecosystems from plastic waste (yearly estimate )

47 |

Trends

8

2

0.6

1.5

Global plastic leakage from four main sources (Mt/y)

Coastal mismanagedplastic waste

Inland rivers

Lost fishing gear

Source: Geyer et al. (2017); WEF, 2016; UN Environment, 2018; The Challenges of measuring plastic pollution, 2019

141

42

38

37

1713 13

Plastic waste generation by sector Mt/y

Packaging

Textiles

Other sectors

Consumer & InstitutionalproductsTransportation

Cumulative global plastic production

Cost of inaction in $BNs

Plastic production has a doubling time of 11 years

Plastic is increasing in the ocean, ~ 1.5% per year.

Australia’s Coast

48 |

What do we know about plastic impacts?

• Economic (tourism & fisheries)• Navigation hazard• Invasive species transport• Wildlife entanglement & ingestion• Chemical/toxicological effects• Well-being/community

50 |

Where does our trash end up?

Most stays local

Matches observations• Consumer items near cities

• Marine users in remote areas

What drives debris loads?Urbanization

• Distance to public transport, nearest road• Regional and local population• Regional and local road density by type

Land use• Reserves, Agriculture, Housing, Water, etc.

Socio-economics• Economic advantage/disadvantage• Education and employment levels• Economic resources

Britta Denise Hardesty

What do we know?

What do we need to know?

52 |

53 | 53 |

State of Knowledge• Threat Abatement Plan (TAP)

• National coastal survey

• Risk/threats to marine fauna

• Emerging priorities project(s)

How to decide? When do we act?

Hardesty & Wilcox 2017

Ghana – flooding during rainy season plastic clogging drains, people die, President bans plastic less than 20 microns thick

On what do we base policies?

55 | 55 |

European Union

Northern Fulmar

How much is a nanogram?… a billionth of a gram

6.6 grams

56 | 56 |

• Where to NOW?• Standardization; national, consistent approach

• Understand policy effectiveness

• Quantify leakage through waterways

Monitoring waste inputs and evaluating existing and potential responses

• Emerging issues?• GPTs/stormwater drains?

• Post-covid recovery for Australia?

• Waste Export ban

Timely, relevant, solutions-oriented & scalable

How do we reduce >80% of plastic waste entering the environment by 2025?

57 |

ENDINGPLASTICWASTE

Logistics of packaging

Reducing information cost

Generating value

Climbing the ladder of fate

Revolutionise packaging

Aiming to make 100% of packaging in Australia reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Behaviour change

Wastemanagement innovation

Supporting best practice

Information for decision-making

Incentives -plastic as a commodity.

Development & implementation of national standards.

Apply circular economy approaches.

Better data, information and decision-support tools.

59 |

60 |

Opportunities for success:

▪ Target sites with high debris load sites (hotspots)

▪ Employ incentives, enforcement, education in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage

▪ Social context is key for low-cost debris/litter reduction

▪ Cost-benefit analysis and optimisation of investments (e.g. litter traps in waterways)

▪ National/international focus on how well policies work

‘If you measure it, you can manage it’

Understand it - Design for it

Participate in it - Influence it

Use it - Circularize it (reuse)

62 |

Springboard for policy development, evaluation & national monitoring

Choose our future

www.csiro.au/plastics

Britta Denise Hardesty CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere

t +61 3 6232 5276e denise.hardesty@csiro.auw https://www.csiro.au/showcase/Ending-plastic-waste

https://research.csiro.au/marinedebris

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