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Uncovered the Identity of Missing Plastics! Proposal for Prohibiting the Manufacture, Sale and Use of Styrofoam
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This commentary proposes that most of the estimated 75 million tons of plastic waste is not in ocean surface waters but instead accumulates on riverbeds and coasts, and advocates prohibiting polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) to reduce the dominant unaccounted fraction of 'missing plastics'.
The number of plastic waste floating in the seawater is estimated to be 75 million tons, of which 60% should be floating in the sea. However, from the research so far, the total amount of plastics on the sea is only 0.44 million tons, 99% of the plastics is missing. But I think that most of the plastics should stay on the riverbed or coast, and the number of plastics floating on the sea surface is almost the same as the number of plastics floating in the sea or the seabed. Since microplastics are produced by deterioration of plastics due to ultraviolet rays and moisture that are exposed to them while they are staying on the riverbeds and coasts, I propose that people all over the world pick up garbage there once a year. In addition, among plastics, Styrofoam is apt to become likely microplastics, so I propose a ban on its production. If banned, I estimate that microplastics will be reduced by 10 to 20%. Fifteen years ago, I was dispatched to Chiang Mai and Nonthaburi in Thailand as a Senior Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers by JICA (The Japan International Cooperation Agency), and had been an advisor for waste treatment and recycling of Thai municipalities for a total of four years. I had experience in collecting and recycling waste in Thailand, and I am familiar with the status of waste landfills. In addition, 10 years ago, I have had experience in picking up garbage floating in the river with a handle of less than 3 m in length and the outer diameter was 32 cm from the top of the ship for one and a half years. In addition, I have proposed charging for plastic shopping bags 25 years ago in the Journal of the Japan Society for Waste Resource Recycling [1]. In this paper, based on these experiences, I will mention the dynamics of missing plastics and their amounts, as well as how to recover plastics floating on river and sea surfaces washed ashore on riverbeds and coasts, as well as microplastics and nano-plastics. I’d like to propose that plastics, which is becoming a threat to humankind, should be completely abolished from the earth. Especially for Styrofoam and synthetic fibres, I’d like to propose a ban on the manufacture, sale and use of them by 2030 because they are easy to become microplastics.
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Plastic litter in the oceans. Most of it has gone missing, but it might just be transformed… or transported
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This review examines the ongoing debate over the apparent 'missing plastic' paradox in the world's oceans, where estimated plastic leakage greatly exceeds measured surface abundance. The authors discuss recent findings suggesting that plastic may be transformed through fragmentation and degradation or transported to deep ocean and coastal sediments rather than accumulating at the surface.
Searching for the missing plastic: a global surface mass budget for floating ocean plastics.
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Researchers constructed a global surface mass budget for floating ocean plastic, finding that the amount accumulating at the surface represents only a small fraction of total plastic entering the ocean. This study explores potential sinks including fragmentation, biofouling-driven sinking, and beaching to account for the missing plastic.
The fate of missing ocean plastics: Are they just a marine environmental problem?
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Researchers estimated a global ocean plastic mass budget to address the paradox of missing ocean plastics, finding that processes like fragmentation, sedimentation, and beaching account for much of the imbalance between plastic inputs and observed floating debris.
Global analysis of marine plastics and implications of control measure strategies
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This study provides a global overview of ocean plastic pollution, finding that plastic production has grown dramatically since the 1950s and over 1,000 rivers contribute 80% of the plastic entering oceans, with Asia as the largest source. Small microplastics dominate ocean surface contamination by particle count, even though larger pieces account for more mass. The review highlights that without major changes in waste management and recycling, plastic pollution will continue to threaten marine food chains and the people who depend on seafood.
The Source of Microplastics is Plastic Scattered on Seashores and Riverbanks How to Reduce Ocean Plastic Debris by a Former River Cleaning Worker
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Researchers drew on practical experience in river surface cleaning to critically evaluate predictions from landmark ocean plastic debris studies, arguing that the actual fate of plastic reserves differs from published models. The author proposes that most 'missing plastics' are scattered on seashores and riverbanks rather than lost to the ocean interior, and recommends establishing specialized cleaning services targeting these zones.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.