A Comprehensive Analysis of Plastics and Microplastic Legislation Worldwide

Lam, Chung Sum; Ramanathan, Soundaram; Carbery, Maddison; Gray, Kelsey Farson; Vanka, Kanth Swaroop; Maurin, Cristelle; Bush, Richard T; Thavamani, Palanisami

doi:10.1007/s11270-018-4002-z

Cited by 121 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…We propose that the most cost-efficient way to prevent megafauna mortality would be by prioritizing the prevention of large and more lethal items. We have already seen a global response in the form of plastic bag bans and fees for bags (Lam et al, 2018;UNEP, 2018;Xanthos & Walker, 2017) (Table 2), which are reducing or eliminating singleuse thin film bags in cities and countries around the world. Sea-based items with high lethality are primarily linked to fishing activities.…”

Section: Policy Opportunities To Reduce Marine Megafauna Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Replacement of "plasticulture" agricultural sheeting with environmentally sustainable alternatives -Investment in gradual replacement of disposable plastic sheeting greenhouse with solid glass, acrylic or polycarbonate greenhouses -Replacement with biodegradable or photodegradable alternatives (Kasirajan & Ngouajio, 2012) -Development of recyclable sheeting and recycling infrastructure -Short-term cost benefits of plastic agricultural sheeting may be offset by the long-term cost and effort of recovering and recycling used mulching films (Steinmetz et al, 2016) Better fisheries management and enforcement of existing regulations to reduce loss of ropes and fishing nets -Incentivize or subsidize regular net maintenance and repair, which is associated with lower rates of net loss (Richardson et al, 2018) -Prohibit overboard discard of damaged nets and incentivize port disposal of damaged nets -Better policing of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, where gear loss is common (Richardson et al, 2018) -Manage fisheries to reduce operator overcrowding, which is associated with higher-risk fishing behavior and working in suboptimal conditions (such as fishing in poor weather or close to reefs), resulting in higher rates of net loss (Richardson et al, 2018) -Reduce and regulate bottom trawling on hard-bottomed seafloors such as rock and reef, where snags and net loss/breakage is more likely (Richardson et al, 2019) -Increase coverage of observer programs to enforce compliance with existing regulations -Investments in behavior change campaigns resulting in larger waste reductions than do investment in policies alone (Brown et al, 2010) more difficult to manage. However, substantial efforts to reduce primary microplastic production in personal care products are underway, some as voluntary measures, others through legislation (Lam et al, 2018;Xanthos & Walker, 2017). As small items are ubiquitous in the marine environment and have many sources (Duis & Coors, 2016), they are more difficult to manage/remove.…”

Section: Policy Opportunities To Reduce Marine Megafauna Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These items are lost through a combination of waste mismanagement and accidental loss. Control at their source is the least expensive, most likely to be successful mitigation option (Lam et al, 2018). Some research articles suggest legislation to favor prohibition (Xanthos & Walker, 2017) or replacement (i.e., reusable or biodegradable alternatives for bags, packaging, and agricultural plastic sheets; Kyrikou & Briassoulis, 2007).…”

Section: Policy Opportunities: Film-like Plasticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plastic pollution is killing marine megafauna, but how do we prioritize policies to reduce mortality?

Roman

Schuyler

Wilcox

et al. 2020

CONSERVATION LETTERS

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Pollution by plastic and other debris is a problem affecting the world's oceans and is increasing through time. The problem is so large that prioritizing solutions to effect meaningful change may seem overwhelming to the public and policy makers. Marine megafauna are known to mistakenly eat anthropogenic debris and die from consequent gastrointestinal blockages, perforations and malnutrition, as well as suffer sublethal impacts. We collated information on which specific items were ingested and responsible for causing death across 80 marine species, including cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea turtles, and seabirds. We evaluated which items were responsible for the highest mortality, and which, if reduced by policy responses or other means, could result in the largest reduction in debris mortality. A limited number of consumer items were shown to be responsible for most megafauna deaths. Flexible plastic is responsible for the largest proportion of debris deaths, primarily due to gastric obstructions. Disproportionately lethal items included plastic bags/sheets/packaging, rope/fishing nets, fishing tackle and balloons/latex. Smaller items, including "microplastics," though abundant, were seldom implicated in mortality. We provide suggestions to directly curb debris deaths of marine megafauna by prioritizing policies that would reduce or eliminate the input of disproportionately hazardous items into the marine system.

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Section: Policy Opportunities To Reduce Marine Megafauna Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Policy Opportunities To Reduce Marine Megafauna Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Policy Opportunities: Film-like Plasticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Plastic pollution is killing marine megafauna, but how do we prioritize policies to reduce mortality?

Roman

Schuyler

Wilcox

et al. 2020

CONSERVATION LETTERS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In other words, the sources are virtually everywhere. The things that can be done to eliminate some of these sources include buying biodegradable clothes, i.e., the clothes made from natural fibers [Henry et al 2018], and reducing the use of plastic bags, as people in Germany have done since 1991 [Lam et al 2018] .…”

Section: Strategies For Reducing Exposures To Microplasticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Occupant-Based Overview of Microplastics in Indoor Environments in the City of Surabaya, Indonesia

Bahrina¹,

Syafei²,

Satoto³

et al. 2020

J. Ecol. Eng.

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Airborne microplastics smaller than 5 mm in diameter can be easily inhaled by humans, impacting their health. The human exposure to microplastics can occur in indoor environments, and this study investigated the degree of indoor deposition of microplastics in settled dust. The authors assessed the relationship between the number of occupants/people and the amount of microplastics in their indoor environment by determining the indoor microplastic exposure in two offices, two schools, and two apartments in Surabaya, Indonesia. The settled dust was collected using a vacuum cleaner for 10 minutes on a single weekday and the weekend at each study location. The results show that the amount of microplastics collected at each location during workdays exceeded the amount found on weekends. The two offices sampled were found to have the greatest amounts of microplastics (334 particles on a weekday, 242 particles on a weekend; and 351 particles on a weekday, 252 particles on a weekend), and the two apartments produced the least amounts of microplastics (133 particles on a weekday, 127 particles on a weekend; and 108 particles on a weekday, 95 particles on a weekend). The dominant microplastic shape was that of fiber, and the dominant size range of the microplastics collected was 3000-3500 µm. The amount of indoor microplastics is influenced by the activities and the number of occupants/people in the space. The exposure levels indicated here will contribute to the formulation of the environmental health policy recommendations.

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“…In 2010, there was approximately 13,200 to 34,800 tons of plastic litter released to into the marine environment, and this figure is expected to increase by an order by 2025 [5]. Legislation related to plastic worldwide has been implemented and showed positive outcomes [6]; however, plastic pollution has not been entirely solved by the implemented legislation. Although the plastic degradation could occur in the marine environment, the breakdown of larger debris into smaller plastic particles remains harmful to the environment [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nano-Scale Plastic Pollution in the Marine Species: A Review

Lam¹

2018

JESPR

Self Cite

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The long-term properties of plastic have been causing persistent marine pollution for decades. The adverse impacts have been found in marine organisms worldwide. Currently, their degraded products-microplastics and nanoplastics-represent emerging plastic issues. Microplastic pollution has drawn attentions in many research fields and the general public. Many types of literature have documented their adverse impacts, distribution, and origins. Hence, many review studies have been conducted on microplastics rather than nanoplastics. Therefore, this review is focused on nanoplastic contamination in marine ecosystems, their origins, distributions, fate, and impacts on marine organisms. This review paper provides an overall picture of nanoplastic pollution on a global scale. The impacts of nanoplastic on marine organisms gene expression at the cellular and tissue levels are evaluated. Moreover, the adverse effects of nanoplastics on the embryonic stages, growth, and mortality of marine species are also discussed. The present review also gathers information to generate future research perspectives, and aims to highlight the need for researching on nanoplastics in the aquatic environment while providing critical perspectives for setting future research objectives.

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A Comprehensive Analysis of Plastics and Microplastic Legislation Worldwide

Cited by 121 publications

References 79 publications

Plastic pollution is killing marine megafauna, but how do we prioritize policies to reduce mortality?

Plastic pollution is killing marine megafauna, but how do we prioritize policies to reduce mortality?

An Occupant-Based Overview of Microplastics in Indoor Environments in the City of Surabaya, Indonesia

Nano-Scale Plastic Pollution in the Marine Species: A Review

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