Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 25 February 2020
Scientists gather to study risk from microplastic pollution

By GILLIAN FLACCUS gional coordinator for the
Associated Press National Oceanic and At-
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Tiny mospheric Administration's
bits of broken-down plastic marine debris program.
smaller than a fraction of "There's a lot of research
a grain of rice are turning that still needs to be done,
up everywhere in oceans, but these plastics have
from the water to the guts the ability to mine harmful
of fish and the poop of chemicals that are in the
sea otters and giant killer environment. They can ac-
whales. cumulate them," said Ma-
Yet little is known about the son. "Everything, as it goes
effects of these "microplas- up toward the top, it just
tics" — on sea creatures or gets more and more and
humans. the umbrella gets wider.
"It's such a huge endeav- And who sits at the top of
or to know how bad it is," the food chain? We do.
said Shawn Larson, curator That's why these research-
of conservation research ers are coming together,
at the Seattle Aquarium. because this is a growing
"We're just starting to get a problem, and we need to
finger on the pulse." understand those effects."
This week, a group of Researchers say bans on
five-dozen microplastics plastic bags, Styrofoam
researchers from major This 2013 photo from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows piece carry-out containers and
universities, government of microplastic foam debris found along the coast of Alaska, on a person's finger. single-use items like straws
agencies, tribes, aquari- Associated Press and plastic utensils will help
ums, environmental groups eventual breakdown of from the Oregon coast. institute. They will present when it comes to the tiniest
and even water sanitation the millions of straws, cups, Nearly all were from micro- their findings at the confer- plastic pollution. Some juris-
districts across the U.S. West water bottles, plastic bags fibers from fleece or other ence. dictions have also recently
is gathering in Bremerton, and other single-use plas- synthetic clothing or from Those studying the phe- begun taking a closer look
Washington, to tackle the tics thrown out each day. abandoned fishing gear, nomenon are worried at the smaller plastic bits
issue. The goal is to create Research into their poten- said Elise Granek, study co- about the health of crea- that have the scientific
a mathematical risk assess- tial impact on everything author. tures living in the ocean community so concerned.
ment for microplastic pollu- from tiny single-celled or- Scientists at the San Fran- — but also, possibly, the California lawmakers in
tion in the region similar to ganisms to larger mammals cisco Estuary Institute found health of humans. 2018 passed legislation that
predictions used to game like sea otters is just getting significant amounts of mi- Some of the concern will ultimately require the
out responses to major nat- underway. croplastic washing into the stems from an unusual twist state to adopt a method
ural disasters such as earth- "This is an alarm bell that's San Francisco Bay from unique to plastic pollution. for testing for microplas-
quakes. going to ring loud and storm runoff over a three- Because plastic is made tics in drinking water and
The largest of these plastic strong," said Stacey Harp- year sampling period that from fossil fuels and con- to perform that testing for
bits are 5 millimeters long, er, an associate professor ended last year. Research- tains hydrocarbons, it at- four years, with the results
roughly the size of a ker- at Oregon State University ers believe the black, rub- tracts and absorbs other reported to the public. The
nel of corn, and many are who helped organize the bery bits no bigger than a pollutants in the water, first key deadline for the
much smaller and invisible conference. "We're first go- grain of sand are likely from such as PCBs and pesti- law — simply defining what
to the naked eye. ing to prioritize who it is that car tires, said Rebecca Sut- cides, said Andrew Mason, qualifies as a micro-plastic
They enter the environment we're concerned about ton, senior scientist at the the Pacific Northwest re- — is July 1. q
in many ways. Some slough protecting: what organ-
off of car tires and wash isms, what endangered Skeptic of world being round dies in
into streams — and even- species, what regions. And
tually the ocean — during that will help us hone in ... California rocket crash
rainstorms. Others detach and determine the data
from fleeces and spandex we need to do a risk assess- BARSTOW, Calif. (AP) — A
clothing in washing ma- ment." California man who said
chines and are mixed in A study published last year he wanted to fly to the
with the soiled water that by Portland State Univer- edge of outer space to
drains from the machine. sity found an average of see if the world is round
Some come from aban- 11 micro-plastic pieces per has died after his home-
doned fishing gear, and still oyster and nine per razor built rocket blasted off
more are the result of the clam in the samples taken into the desert sky and
plunged back to earth.
"Mad" Mike Hughes was
killed on Saturday af- In this Saturday afternoon, Feb. 22, 2020, photo "Mad" Mike
ternoon after his rocket Hughes rocket takes off, with what appears to be a parachute
crashed on private prop- tearing off during its launch near Barstow, Calif.
erty near Barstow, Califor- Associated Press
nia. The Science Channel cult time." "It was always his "longest limousine ramp
said on Twitter it had been dream to do this launch," jump," for jumping 103
chronicling Hughes' jour- the Twitter message said. feet (31 meters) in a Lin-
ney and that "thoughts & Hughes also was a limou- coln Town Car stretch lim-
prayers go out to his family sine driver, who held the ousine, at a speedway in
& friends during this diffi- Guinness world record for 2002. q