Ucwaningo olusha olwenziwa ithimba labacwaningi abavela eJalimane, eGreat Britain naseCanada luthole ukuthi ulwelwe olumila ngaphansi kweqhwa olwandle e-Arctic “lungcoliswe kakhulu” ngama-microplastics, lubeka usongo kubantu ochungechungeni lokudla, kubika i-UPI.
Ulwelwe oluminyene olwaziwa nge-Melosira arctica luqukethe i-avareji yezinhlayiya ze-microplastic ezingama-31,000 nge-cubic meter ngayinye, cishe izikhathi eziyi-10 ukugxila emanzini azungezile, abacwaningi bathola, abacashunwe yi-BTA. Ngokusho kwabo, isilinganiso sasilinganiselwa ku-19,000, okusho ukuthi amanye ama-clumps kungenzeka abe nezinhlayiya ze-microplastic ezingaba ngu-50,000 nge-cubic meter ngayinye.
Ucwaningo lwenziwa e-Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research e-Alfred Wegener Institute, ngokusekelwe kumasampula aqoqwe ngesikhathi sohambo nomkhumbi wokucwaninga we-Polarstern ngo-2021. Imiphumela yomsebenzi wethimba lamazwe ngamazwe yanyatheliswa ngoLwesihlanu ku- iphephabhuku elithi “Environmental Science and Technology”.
"I-filament algae inomzimba omncane, onamathelayo, ngakho-ke ingase ithathe ama-microplastics endaweni ehlala emkhathini olwandle, emanzini olwandle ngokwawo, eqhweni elizungezile nanoma yimuphi omunye umthombo odlulayo," kusho uDeoni Allen waseNyuvesi yaseCanterbury. ukukhululwa kwabezindaba. kanye neNyuvesi yaseBirmingham, eyingxenye yethimba labacwaningi.
Izinhlanzi, ezifana ne-cod, zidla ulwelwe futhi zona zidliwa ezinye izilwane, kuhlanganise nabantu, ngaleyo ndlela zidlulisele “izinhlobonhlobo zamapulasitiki” okuhlanganisa i-polyethylene, i-polyester, i-polypropylene, inayiloni ne-acrylic, ezitholakala emizimbeni yabantu.
“Abantu base-Arctic bathembele ikakhulukazi ekudleni olwandle ukuze bathole amaprotheni, ngokwesibonelo ngokuzingela noma ukudoba,” kusho isazi sezinto eziphilayo uMelanie Bergman, owayehola lolu cwaningo. Lokhu kusho ukuthi baphinde bachayeke emiphumeleni ye-microplastics namakhemikhali akhe. "Ama-Microplastics asevele atholakala emathunjini omuntu, igazi, imithambo, amaphaphu, i-placenta nobisi lwebele futhi angabangela ukusabela kokuvuvukala, kodwa imiphumela iyonke kuze kube manje ibingakahlolisiswa," kuchaza uBergman.
Izigaxa zolwelwe olufile ziphinde zithuthe ama-microplastics ngokushesha ikakhulukazi olwandle olujulile, okuchaza ukugxila okuphezulu kwama-microplastics enhlabathini - okunye okubalulekile okutholakele ocwaningweni olusha. Ulwelwe lukhula ngokushesha ngaphansi kweqhwa olwandle phakathi nezinyanga zasentwasahlobo nezasehlobo, futhi lapho kwakheka amaketanga amangqamuzana angamamitha ubude aphenduka abe izigaxa lapho amangqamuzana efa. Phakathi nosuku, zingacwila izinkulungwane zamamitha phansi emanzini ajulile olwandle. "Ekugcineni sithole incazelo ezwakalayo yokuthi kungani sihlala sikala amanani aphezulu kakhulu ama-microplastics ezindaweni ezijulile zolwandle," kusho uBergman. Wengeze ngokuthi ucwaningo luveza ukuthi ukunciphisa ukukhiqizwa kwepulasitiki kuyindlela ephumelela kakhulu yokunciphisa lolu hlobo lokungcola.
"Kungakho lokhu kufanele kube yinto ehamba phambili esivumelwaneni sepulasitiki somhlaba okuxoxiswana ngaso," kusho uBergman. Uzothamela umzuliswano olandelayo wezingxoxo zokuthuthukisa isivumelwano se-UN sokunciphisa ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki. Izingxoxo kulindeleke ukuthi ziqale eParis ekupheleni kukaMeyi.
Isithombe ngu-Ellie Burgin:
