One study found that microplastics in the ocean are deposited on land during typhoons.
What happened?
In research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, experts sought to understand how tropical storms including typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones affect plastic pollution in the ocean.
They found that microplastic deposition levels increased as the typhoon made landfall and decreased as the typhoon passed by.
“The data show that the storm itself produced a clear, brief pulse of pollution,” said Taiseer Hussain Nafea, a researcher at Phys.org.
Using the storm’s chemical composition and direction, researchers can confirm the link between microplastics being dragged out of the ocean.
“Storms are actively transferring microplastics from the ocean into the atmosphere and depositing them on land,” Nafia said.
Why is this study worthy of attention?
“This discovery reveals a direct physical link between plastic pollution and climate change, two of the most serious environmental crises, a link that suggests they may now be fueling each other,” Nafia wrote.
According to Reuters, there is evidence that typhoons are increasing in intensity as global temperatures rise due to human activities.
Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted that the high winds and flooding caused by the typhoon put “millions of people at risk.”
This study shows that people in areas affected by typhoons are at greater risk.
“For coastal cities, this rewrites the script on typhoon risk,” Nafia wrote. “In addition to wind and water, storms are now bringing with them invisible, inhalable plastic plumes.”
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that can be found everywhere on Earth, from the oceans to every human body.
More research is needed to understand the effects of microplastics on humans and the environment, but research suggests they may be linked to liver problems and neurological problems, among other health conditions.
What can we do about microplastics?
“Removing plastic from coasts and rivers is no longer just an environmental act, but a critical step in adapting to the climate and safeguarding public health,” Nafia said. “It’s about wiping out future storms.”
There are an estimated 75 million to 199 million tons of plastic in the world’s oceans, according to the World Economic Forum, which stressed the need to reduce plastic use.
Some organizations, such as The Ocean Cleanup and Ocean Heritage Foundation, work to remove plastic from the ocean to help reduce the amount of plastic that threatens marine wildlife and can return to land as microplastics during typhoons.
Meanwhile, one study found a way to remove microplastics from drinking water, while another report found that probiotics could help combat toxins found in microplastics.
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