Tire wear particles in the aquatic environment – a review on generation, analysis, occurrence, fate and
effects,

Water Research, Available online 24 March 2018, ISSN 0043-1354,

Abstract:
Tire wear particles (TWP), generated from tire material during use on
roads have gained increasing attention as part of organic particulate
contaminants, such as microplastic, in aquatic environments. The
available information on properties and generation of TWP, analytical
techniques to determine TWP, emissions, occurrence and behavior and
ecotoxicological effects of TWP are reviewed with a focus on surface
water as a potential receptor. TWP emissions are traffic related and
contribute 5 – 30 % to non-exhaust emissions from traffic. The mass of
TWP generated is estimated at 1,327,000 t/a for the European Union,
1,120,000 t/a for the United States and 133,000 t/a for Germany. For
Germany, this is equivalent to four times the amount of pesticides used.
The mass of TWP ultimately entering the aquatic environment strongly
depends on the extent of collection and treatment of road runoff, which
is highly variable. For the German highways it is estimated that up to
11,000 t/a of TWP reach surface waters. Data on TWP concentrations in
the environment, including surface waters are fragmentary, which is also
due to the lack of suitable analytical methods for their determination.
Information on TWP properties such as density and size distribution are
missing; this hampers assessing the fate of TWP in the aquatic
environment. Effects in the aquatic environment may stem from TWP itself
or from compounds released from TWP. It is concluded that reliable
knowledge on transport mechanism to surface waters, concentrations in
surface waters and sediments, effects of aging, environmental half-lives
of TWP as well as effects on aquatic organisms are missing. These
aspects need to be addressed to allow for the assessment of risk of TWP
in an aquatic environment.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XW4YwVz84_O8AWLa21beJ53p4rNYKM7Z
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.03.051.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135418302471)

https://www.theoceancleanup.com/updates/the-exponential-increase-of-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/

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Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic

Scientific Reportsvolume 8, Article number: 4666 (2018)
doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22939-w

Abstract
Ocean plastic can persist in sea surface waters, eventually accumulating
in remote areas of the world’s oceans. Here we characterise and quantify
a major ocean plastic accumulation zone formed in subtropical waters
between California and Hawaii: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP).
Our model, calibrated with data from multi-vessel and aircraft surveys,
predicted at least 79 (45–129) thousand tonnes of ocean plastic are
floating inside an area of 1.6 million km2; a figure four to sixteen
times higher than previously reported. We explain this difference
through the use of more robust methods to quantify larger debris. Over
three-quarters of the GPGP mass was carried by debris larger than 5 cm
and at least 46% was comprised of fishing nets. Microplastics accounted
for 8% of the total mass but 94% of the estimated 1.8 (1.1–3.6) trillion
pieces floating in the area. Plastic collected during our study has
specific characteristics such as small surface-to-volume ratio,
indicating that only certain types of debris have the capacity to
persist and accumulate at the surface of the GPGP. Finally, our results
suggest that ocean plastic pollution within the GPGP is increasing
exponentially and at a faster rate than in surrounding waters.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w.pdf

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1x3aEssgUnZvrWCG5B41y2bS_3ySCRvhf

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Microplastics in wastewater: State of the knowledge on sources, fate and solutions,

Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 129,
Issue 1, April 2018, Pages 262-265, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants that could harm ecosystems.
Wastewater contains microplastics and may lead to further contamination
of the environment. This focus article presents a summary of current
knowledge on microplastics in wastewater and possible solutions,
suggesting current research needs.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Yt0Xu7dfd1fygq0U9nRZY-P0OAL-zkVh

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.02.046.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X18301346)

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Technologies for the marking of fishing gear to identify gear components entangled on marine animals and to reduce
abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear,

Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 129, Issue 1, April 2018, Pages 253-261, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

Fishing gears are marked to establish and inform origin, ownership and
position. More recently, fishing gears are marked to aid in capacity
control, reduce marine litter due to abandoned, lost or otherwise
discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and assist in its recovery, and to combat
illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Traditionally,
physical marking, inscription, writing, color, shape, and tags have been
used for ownership and capacity purposes. Buoys, lights, flags, and
radar reflectors are used for marking of position. More recently,
electronic devices have been installed on marker buoys to enable easier
relocation of the gear by owner vessels. This paper reviews gear marking
technologies with focus on coded wire tags, radio frequency
identification tags, Automatic Identification Systems, advanced
electronic buoys for pelagic longlines and fish aggregating devices, and
re-location technology if the gear becomes lost.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mFEsrI-yLGtiTAWMjmv55-8CU-A02-AW
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.02.033.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X18301218)

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Plastic ingestion in aquatic-associated bird species in southern Portugal,

Marine Pollution Bulletin,Volume 126, 2018, Pages 413-418, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

Excessive use of plastics in daily life and the inappropriate
disposal of plastic products are severely affecting wildlife species in
both coastal and aquatic environments. Birds are top-predators, exposed
to all threats affecting their environments, making them ideal sentinel
organisms for monitoring ecosystems change. We set a baseline assessment
of the prevalence of marine plastic litter affecting multi-species
populations of aquatic birds in southern Portugal. By examining 160
stomach contents from 8 species of aquatic birds, we show that 22.5%
were affected by plastic debris. Plastic was found in Ciconia ciconia,
Larus fuscus and L. michahellis. Ciconia ciconia ingested the highest
amount (number of items and total mass) of plastic debris.
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, silicones) was the most abundant polymer and
was recorded only in C. ciconia. Plastic ingestion baseline data are of
crucial importance to evaluate changes through time and among regions
and to define management and conservation strategies.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X1731007X/pdfft?md5=64d43aad628c8830b4cafc9cae885d37&pid=1-s2.0-S0025326X1731007X-main.pdf

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1adEkCYhZiJ2xeiuRjPnBSVAtVHq_gJJH

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.050.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X1731007X)

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Micro-plastic ingestion by waterbirds from contaminated wetlands in South Africa,

Marine Pollution Bulletin,Volume 126, 2018, Pages 330-333, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

Despite a large literature on the impacts of micro-plastic
pollution in marine ecosystems, very little research has focused on
these pollutants in freshwater ecosystems. Recently, however, a few
studies have demonstrated that micro-plastic pollutants are ingested by
freshwater taxa, including birds. To explore this potential
environmental threat in African freshwater systems we quantified
micro-plastic pollutants in the faeces and feather brushings of seven
southern African duck species. We analysed 283 faecal samples and 408
feather brushings, and found that 5% of faecal samples and 10% of
feather samples contained micro-plastic fibres. The presence and
abundance of micro-fibres differed between sampling sites, with
significantly higher amounts recorded for the site that received
effluent from a sewage treatment facility. Additionally, micro-fibre
presence differed across duck species, indicating that foraging
behaviour affects plastic ingestion. Our study confirms that African
freshwater ecosystems and the biodiversity they support are under threat
from micro-plastic contamination.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17309773/pdfft?md5=22349905c39abfd10049e1654cf4bc5d&pid=1-s2.0-S0025326X17309773-main.pdf

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMtjfJEvk7s_hK8Lu-MQETqoDaFYY-lk

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.021.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17309773)

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Spatio-temporal variation of anthropogenic marine debris on Chilean beaches,
Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 126, 2018, Pages 516-524, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract: We examined the hypothesis that in an emerging economy such as
Chile the abundances of Anthropogenic Marine Debris (AMD) on beaches are
increasing over time. The citizen science program Científicos de la
Basura (“Litter Scientists”) conducted three national surveys (2008,
2012 and 2016) to determine AMD composition, abundance, spatial patterns
and temporal trends. AMD was found on all beaches along the entire
Chilean coast. Highest percentages of AMD in all surveys were plastics
and cigarette butts, which can be attributed to local sources (i.e.
beach users). The Antofagasta region in northern Chile had the highest
abundance of AMD compared with all other zones. Higher abundances of AMD
were found at the upper stations from almost all zones. No significant
tendency of increasing or decreasing AMD densities was observed during
the 8years covered by our study, which suggests that economic
development alone cannot explain temporal trends in AMD densities.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17309682/pdfft?md5=6de604bdbb8d1651fc7d5b023187ce85&pid=1-s2.0-S0025326X17309682-main.pdf

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Fd-1NPb3ym3w8FDZBFOUam2nOp3uR2yl

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.014.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17309682)

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DOI: 10.1126/science.aba9475
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/07/22/science.aba9475

Abstract:
Plastic pollution is a pervasive and growing problem. To estimate the effectiveness of interventions to reduce plastic pollution, we modeled stocks and flows of municipal solid waste and four sources of microplastics through the global plastic system for five scenarios between 2016 and 2040. Implementing all feasible interventions reduced plastic pollution by 40% from 2016 rates and 78% relative to ‘business as usual’ in 2040. Even with immediate and concerted action, 710 million metric tons of plastic waste cumulatively entered aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. To avoid a massive build-up of plastic in the environment, coordinated global action is urgently needed to reduce plastic consumption, increase rates of reuse, waste collection and recycling, expand safe disposal systems and accelerate innovation in the plastic value chain.

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