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Plastic waste in the Belgian coastal waters: where and how much?
Summary
This study surveyed the distribution and quantity of plastic waste in Belgian coastal waters, responding to growing public concern about ocean plastic pollution. The work highlights the need to understand local sources and pathways of marine plastic debris.
In recent years, the numerous reports about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch have raised the concern about marine litter.Some types of marine debris, notably plastics, are known to degrade very slowly and as a consequence they remain in the marine environment for a long time.This waste affects the marine ecosystem in several ways, e.g. by entanglement of wildlife or ingestion of plastics by seabirds.Another issue is that, due to the impact of currents, waves and UV radiation.larger parts of plastic debris eventually break down to smaller parts known as microplastics.