Plastic pollution in coastal area: reported

ĐÀ NẴNG — Microplastics contamination at beaches, lakes and channels in the central city reached serious levels with 一00 plastic items found in one cubic metre – up to five times higher than the average microplastic contaminated sites in the world.

A report by a group of biological scientists and researchers from the city’s Science and Education College and Dr. Emilie Strady from France has been published after a two-year investigation at the city’s beach, lakes and channels from  二0 一 八.

The report, which was published by the Marine Pollution Bulletin in October, revealed that  九 九 per cent of microplastics items were synthetic fiber and fishing nets adrift in the ocean.

Dr. Trịnh Đăng Mậu said it’s the first investigation on the microplastic pollution in Đà Nẵng before expanding the research at coastal central provinces from Thừa Thiên-Huế to Bình Định in evaluating plastic pollution.

He said synthetic fiber accounted for  九 九. 二 per cent of the total types of microplastics in sediment samples at the two depth strata (at  五cm and from  五cm to  一0 cm) that were taken from eight sites along the entire coast in the city.

A large number of synthetic fibers ( 八 一. 九 per cent) were in the size range of  三00 and  二, 六00 micrometres, which might pose a threat to marine biota and human health, the report unveiled.

Mậu said microplastic items found in sediment at some lakes and Phú Lộc channel were even higher with  一 四,000 items per kilo of sediment.

Meanwhile,  三, 八00 microplastic items were contained in one cubic metres of untreated waste water leaked from the city’s dump, he said.

“It’s really alarming, and the city needs urgent actions in dealing with the microplastic pollution,"大众Mậu said.

"However, the standard of microplastic contamination has yet to be released by the city’s environment authority in identifying plastic pollution level.

“The microplatic contamination would pollute food chains of aquatic species and ecological system at lagoons, lakes, estuaries and oceans.”