Plastic as a Persistent Marine Pollutant

TLDR

Plastics, first widely used in the 1950s, now reach 322 Mt per year, with roughly half for packaging, 40 % unaccounted for, and 4.8–12.7 Mt annually entering oceans as litter and microplastics, leading to persistent accumulation in marine organisms and sediments akin to historic persistent pollutants. The authors argue that mismanaged plastic waste poses a threat comparable to historic persistent pollutants like DDT and PCBs. They propose a Global Convention on Plastic Pollution to incentivize collaboration among governments, producers, scientists, and citizens as a solution to the crisis. Recent evidence shows that plastic micro- and nanoparticles have complex toxic effects on marine life and can transfer up the food chain to humans.

Abstract

Synthetic organic polymers—or plastics—did not enter widespread use until the 1950s. By 2015, global production had increased to 322 million metric tons (Mt) year −1 , which approaches the total weight of the human population produced in plastic every year. Approximately half is used for packaging and other disposables, 40% of plastic waste is not accounted for in managed landfills or recycling facilities, and 4.8–12.7 Mt year −1 enter the ocean as macroscopic litter and microplastic particles. Here, we argue that such mismanaged plastic waste is similar to other persistent pollutants, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which once threatened a “silent spring” on land. Such a scenario seems now possible in the ocean, where plastic cannot be easily removed, accumulates in organisms and sediments, and persists much longer than on land. New evidence indicates a complex toxicology of plastic micro- and nanoparticles on marine life, and transfer up the food chain, including to people. We detail solutions to the current crisis of accumulating plastic pollution, suggesting a Global Convention on Plastic Pollution that incentivizes collaboration between governments, producers, scientists, and citizens.