Since 2005. Since 2008, the increase in marine pollution from plastics has been unprecedented.
The new study found that plastic pollution in the world's oceans has reached "unprecedented levels" over the last 15 years, calling for a legally binding international agreement to stop hazardous waste.
Marine plastic pollution is a persistent problem worldwide and animals can get into larger pieces of plastic, such as fish nets, or swallow microplastics, which eventually enter the food chain for human consumption.
Studies published on Wednesday showed that there are currently 170 trillion plastics on the world's ocean surface, mostly microplastics, most of which have been since 2005. Discarded since 2008.
A study published in the open access journal PLOS ONE states: "Over the last 15 years, plastic pollution in the world's oceans has reached unprecedented levels."
This amount is higher than previous estimates, and studies have shown that uncontrolled plastic entering the ocean can accelerate several times in the coming decades.
Scientists collected plastic samples from more than 11,000 locations around the world, focusing on the 40-year period 1979-2019.
Before 1990. They did not detect any trend in 2008 and then occurred between 1990 and 2005. Trend fluctuations in 2009. Subsequently, the number of samples increased.
Lisa Erdle told AFP: "Since 2005. Since 2008, we have seen very rapid growth due to rapid growth in production and a limited number of policies to control plastic emissions in the oceans. '
There are many sources of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Fishing gear such as fishing nets and buoys often accidentally fall over or fall into the middle of the ocean, while items such as clothing, car tyres and disposable plastic often cause pollution near the coast.
"Eventually, they break down into microplastics that look like "confetti on the surface of the ocean," Elder said.
- The spread of toxic products.
According to a report prepared by The Economist's Influence and the Japan Foundation, the use of plastics in G20 countries will double according to current trends in 2019. 451 million tonnes in 2050. by 2010.
In 1950, only 2 million tons of plastic were produced worldwide.
Recycling, even in countries with high-level waste management systems, does not help to solve the pollution problem, as only a small part of plastic is recycled properly and often ends up in landfills.
If landfills are handled incorrectly, plastic waste can seep into the environment and eventually into the ocean.
"We see a lack of recycling, the spread of toxic products and packaging," Elder said.
Between 1990 and 2005, plastic waste production decreased at some point, partly due to effective pollution control policies.
These include 1988. MARPOL Convention 2005, a legally binding agreement between 154 countries aimed at eliminating plastic emissions from marine, fishing and maritime fleets.
However, as more and more plastics are produced today, the authors of the study say that new and extensive processing is needed not only to reduce the production and use of plastics, but also to better manage their disposal.
"The value of plastic environmental recycling is limited, so solution strategies must first address systems that limit plastic pollution emissions," the study says.
Last year, 175 countries agreed to end plastic pollution as part of a legally binding UN agreement, which will be terminated next year.
The main measures under negotiation include a global ban on single-use plastics, the polluter pays the scheme and a tax on the production of new plastics.
According to a PLO study, the total weight of plastic pollution detected in the ocean is currently estimated at 2.3 million tonnes.
He studied samples from the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the Northern Pacific, the Southern Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.
