The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has launched a research project to examine the origin of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean and the effects of these microplastics on ecosystems and human health.
IUCN will then make recommendations on the development and implementation of sustainable waste policies and legislation for governments, industries, civil society and other stakeholders.
29 January 2016: The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has launched a research project to examine the origin of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean and the effects of these microplastics on ecosystems and human health. IUCN will then make recommendations on the development and implementation of sustainable waste policies and legislation for governments, industries, civil society and other stakeholders.
The UN Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of the Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) has endorsed the project, which IUCN will carry out with the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI). KOPRI will provide technical experts and access to their research vessel, ‘Araon,’ the largest research icebreaker in the world. The use of Araon will allow the project to monitor the types and quantity of marine plastics in the ocean as well as to assess the physical and chemical impacts of microplastic presence in the Arctic sea ice, including ice formation and melting.
The Arctic Ocean contains a concentration of microplastics that exceeds amounts previously reported in highly contaminated ocean waters, according to IUCN. There is also evidence suggesting that a sixth plastic gyre has formed within the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean, according to IUCN, which means that converging ocean currents could be contributing to the accumulation of microplastics in the Arctic. As sea ice thaws, these plastic particles are released in the water, where they can be ingested by marine organisms and enter the food chain.
Microplastics in the Arctic Ocean also represent a serious human health concern, according to IUCN, which notes that 50% of the fish consumed in the European Union (EU) and 40% of the commercial fisheries in the United States (US) come from the Arctic. The project will assess the effects of plastic ingestion on marine life and food safety consequences for humans.
GESMAP is currently working on updating its first assessment on marine litter as a contribution to the Second UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in May 2016. [IUCN Press Release] [GESAMP Website] [GESMAP News on Marine Litter] [KOPRI Website]