ISLAND GUARDIANS MICROPLASTICS

Microplastics

Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic, less than 6mm in size.

Some microplastics are formed when larger plastic items break down, such as so-called biodegradable plastics.

Some microplastics are intentionally produced, such as microbeads used in cosmetics.

“When plastics do break down, they don’t biodegrade; rather, they break into increasingly smaller pieces, many of which end up in the oceans as microplastics that harm aquatic life and birds.” – David Suzuki

Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic, less than 6mm in size.

Some microplastics are formed when larger plastic items break down, such as so-called biodegradable plastics.

Some microplastics are intentionally produced, such as microbeads used in cosmetics.

“When plastics do break down, they don’t biodegrade; rather, they break into increasingly smaller pieces, many of which end up in the oceans as microplastics that harm aquatic life and birds”. – David Suzuki

Cigarette Microplastics

Cigarettes are a surprising but significant source of microplastic pollution. Cigarette filters are often made of thousands of thin strands of plastic which enter the sea when cigarettes are discarded in streets and on beaches, and then washed out into the ocean.

Nurdles

Another source of ocean microplastic pollution are “nurdles” – small plastic beads intended for manufacture into plastic items. Unfortunately they can be spilled into the environment due to transport accidents such as shipwrecks.

The Andromeda Project

The Andromeda Project is a project focusing on microplastics, led by the University of Aix-Marseille in France and a consortium of 15 partners, including the University of Malta (UM). UM’s main task consisted of the development and delivery of a citizen science smart phone app which automates the characterisation of photographed microplastics through an inbuilt algorithm, thus deploying Artificial Intelligence (Image Analysis) for environmental management purposes. The ANDROMEDA smartphone app was launched during an ‘EMD in my country’ event held at ESPLORA Interactive Science Centre.

Cigarette Microplastics

Cigarettes are a surprising but significant source of microplastic pollution. Cigarette filters are often made of thousands of thin strands of plastic which enter the sea when cigarettes are discarded in streets and on beaches, and then washed out into the ocean.

Nurdles

Another source of ocean microplastic pollution are “nurdles” – small plastic beads intended for manufacture into plastic items. Unfortunately they can be spilled into the environment due to transport accidents such as shipwrecks.