The power of environmental norms: marine plastic pollution and the politics of microbeads,
Environmental Politics, DOI:
10.1080/09644016.2018.1449090

ABSTRACT:

Emerging environmental norms gain strength and diffuse more quickly when
scientific evidence of harm is consolidating, when activism is
intensifying, and when political and corporate resistance is relatively
weak. The anti-microbead norm – that plastic microbeads should be
removed from personal care products – has been gaining global influence
since 2012; witness the upsurge in anti-microbead activism, public
concern, voluntary corporate phasedowns and governmental bans. By 2018,
the world was on track to eliminate microbeads from ‘rinse-off’ products
within a decade, reducing microplastics flowing into oceans by 1–2%.
This confirms the power of environmental norms, but how and why this
phaseout is occurring – unequally across jurisdictions, with firms
creating loopholes, missing deadlines and limiting the scope of reforms
– also reveals innate weaknesses of bottom-up, ad hoc norm diffusion as
a way of improving marine governance. These weaknesses are heightened
when economic stakes are high, solutions are complex and costly,
authority is fragmented across jurisdictions and corporate resistance is
strong.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LIF8aDtH5IjejTsWtIhcSi0Li5cGEOs1
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09644016.2018.1449090

The post The power of environmental norms: marine plastic pollution and the politics of microbeads appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

The power of environmental norms: marine plastic pollution and the politics of microbeads,

Environmental Politics, DOI:
10.1080/09644016.2018.1449090

ABSTRACT

Emerging environmental norms gain strength and diffuse more quickly when
scientific evidence of harm is consolidating, when activism is
intensifying, and when political and corporate resistance is relatively
weak. The anti-microbead norm – that plastic microbeads should be
removed from personal care products – has been gaining global influence
since 2012; witness the upsurge in anti-microbead activism, public
concern, voluntary corporate phasedowns and governmental bans. By 2018,
the world was on track to eliminate microbeads from ‘rinse-off’ products
within a decade, reducing microplastics flowing into oceans by 1–2%.
This confirms the power of environmental norms, but how and why this
phaseout is occurring – unequally across jurisdictions, with firms
creating loopholes, missing deadlines and limiting the scope of reforms
– also reveals innate weaknesses of bottom-up, ad hoc norm diffusion as
a way of improving marine governance. These weaknesses are heightened
when economic stakes are high, solutions are complex and costly,
authority is fragmented across jurisdictions and corporate resistance is
strong.
KEYWORDS: Global environmental governance, environmental norms,
transnational corporations, marine pollution, plastics, microbeads

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LIF8aDtH5IjejTsWtIhcSi0Li5cGEOs1

The post The power of environmental norms: marine plastic pollution and the politics of microbeads appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Environmental Pollution, Volume 237, 2018, Pages 275-284, ISSN 0269-7491,

Abstract:

Microplastic and microfiber pollution has been documented in
all major ocean basins. Microfibers are one of the most common
microparticle pollutants along shorelines. Over 9 million tons of fibers
are produced annually; 60% are synthetic and ∼25% are non-synthetic.
Non-synthetic and semi-synthetic microfibers are infrequently documented
and not typically included in marine environment impact analyses,
resulting in underestimation of a potentially pervasive and harmful
pollutant. We present the most extensive worldwide microparticle
distribution dataset using 1-liter grab samples (n = 1393). Our citizen
scientist driven study shows a global microparticle average of
11.8 ± 24.0 particles L−1 (mean ± SD), approximately three orders of
magnitude higher than global model predictions. Open ocean samples
showed consistently higher densities than coastal samples, with the
highest concentrations found in the polar oceans (n = 51), confirming
previous empirical and theoretical studies. Particles were predominantly
microfibers (91%) and 0.1–1.5 mm in length (77%), a smaller size than
those captured in the majority of surface studies. Using μFT-IR we
determined the material types of 113 pieces; 57% were classified as
synthetic, 12% as semi-synthetic, and 31% as non-synthetic. Samples were
taken globally, including from coastal environments and understudied
ocean regions. Some of these sites are emerging as areas of concentrated
floating plastic and anthropogenic debris, influenced by distant waste
mismanagement and/or deposition of airborne particles. Incorporation of
smaller-sized microfibers in oceanographic models, which has been
lacking, will help us to better understand the movement and
transformation of synthetic, semi-synthetic and non-synthetic
microparticles in regional seas and ocean basins.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1igOxgrL6DSSvDtXI161CWaJn6ytsp5X7

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.062.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117349400)

The post Marine environment microfiber contamination: Global patterns and the diversity of microparticle origins appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin: A review on current knowledge and future prospects,
Environmental Pollution, Volume 237, 2018, Pages 111-125, ISSN 0269-7491,

Abstract:

Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) are chronically exposed to organic pollutants since they inhabit shallow
coastal waters that are often impacted by anthropogenic activities. The aim of this review was to evaluate existing knowledge on the occurrence of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, identify knowledge gaps, and offer recommendations for future research directions.
We discussed the trends in the bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins focusing on sources,
physicochemical properties, and usage patterns. Furthermore, we examined factors that influence bioaccumulation such as gender, age, dietary intake and tissue-specific distribution.
Studies on bioaccumulation in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin remain scarce, despite high concentrations above 13,000 ng/g lw we previously detected for PFOS, ∑PBDE and chlorinated paraffins. The maximum concentration of organochlorines detected was
157,000 ng/g wt. Furthermore, variations in bioaccumulation were shown to be caused by factors such as usage patterns and
physicochemical properties of the pollutant. However, restrictions in sampling inhibit investigations on exposure pathway and toxicity of
organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. We proposed the use of biopsy sampling, predictive bioaccumulation and toxicity modeling, and monitoring other emerging contaminants such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals for future health risk assessment on this critically endangered marine mammal species.

Keywords: Bioaccumulation; Sousa chinensis; Marine pollution; Emerging
contaminants; Persistent organic pollutants

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ofoFXLMfy4TsoOjCvidLpI9TGYjunLYx
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.055.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974911733840X)

The post Bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin: A review on current knowledge and future prospects appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Marine environment microfiber contamination: Global patterns and the diversity of microparticle origins,
Environmental Pollution,Volume 237, 2018, Pages 275-284, ISSN 0269-7491,

Abstract:

Microplastic and microfiber pollution has been documented in all major ocean basins. Microfibers are one of the most common microparticle pollutants along shorelines. Over 9 million tons of fibers are produced annually; 60% are synthetic and ∼25% are non-synthetic.
Non-synthetic and semi-synthetic microfibers are infrequently documented and not typically included in marine environment impact analyses, resulting in underestimation of a potentially pervasive and harmful pollutant.
We present the most extensive worldwide microparticle distribution dataset using 1-liter grab samples (n = 1393). Our citizen scientist driven study shows a global microparticle average of 11.8 ± 24.0 particles L−1 (mean ± SD), approximately three orders of
magnitude higher than global model predictions.
Open ocean samples showed consistently higher densities than coastal samples, with the
highest concentrations found in the polar oceans (n = 51), confirming previous empirical and theoretical studies. Particles were predominantly microfibers (91%) and 0.1–1.5 mm in length (77%), a smaller size than those captured in the majority of surface studies. Using μFT-IR we determined the material types of 113 pieces; 57% were classified as
synthetic, 12% as semi-synthetic, and 31% as non-synthetic. Samples were taken globally, including from coastal environments and understudied ocean regions. Some of these sites are emerging as areas of concentrated floating plastic and anthropogenic debris, influenced by distant waste mismanagement and/or deposition of airborne particles. Incorporation of smaller-sized microfibers in oceanographic models, which has been
lacking, will help us to better understand the movement and transformation of synthetic, semi-synthetic and non-synthetic microparticles in regional seas and ocean basins.
Keywords: Microfiber; Microplastic; Marine pollution; Microparticle;
Citizen science

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1igOxgrL6DSSvDtXI161CWaJn6ytsp5X7
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.062.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117349400)

The post Marine environment microfiber contamination: Global patterns and the diversity of microparticle origins appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin:
A review on current knowledge and future prospects, Environmental Pollution,
Volume 237, 2018, Pages 111-125, ISSN 0269-7491,

Abstract:

Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) are chronically exposed to organic pollutants since they inhabit shallow coastal waters that are often impacted by anthropogenic activities. The aim of this review was to evaluate existing knowledge on the occurrence of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, identify
knowledge gaps, and offer recommendations for future research directions. We discussed the trends in the bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins focusing on sources, physicochemical properties, and usage patterns. Furthermore, we examined factors that influence bioaccumulation such as gender, age, dietary intake and tissue-specific distribution.
Studies on bioaccumulation in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin remain scarce, despite high concentrations above 13,000 ng/g lw we previously detected for PFOS, ∑PBDE and
chlorinated paraffins. The maximum concentration of organochlorines detected was 157,000 ng/g wt.
Furthermore, variations in bioaccumulation were shown to be caused by factors such as usage patterns and physicochemical properties of the pollutant. However, restrictions in
sampling inhibit investigations on exposure pathway and toxicity of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. We proposed the use of biopsy sampling, predictive bioaccumulation and toxicity modeling, and monitoring other emerging contaminants such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals for future health risk assessment on this critically endangered marine mammal species.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ofoFXLMfy4TsoOjCvidLpI9TGYjunLYx
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.055.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974911733840X)

The post Bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin: A review on current knowledge and future prospects appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..