The amount of marine microplastics could increase 50-fold by the end of the century.
Plastic waste the number in the seas could quadruple by 2050, according to a recent report by the International Environment Agency (WWF). The estimate is based on projections that plastic production is expected to more than double by 2040.
The amount of marine microplastics could increase 50 times by the end of the century, the report estimates.
According to the report, the critical threshold for microplastics has already been exceeded in the Mediterranean, the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Arctic sea ice. This can lead to adverse effects on both species and ecosystems and even declining populations.
Plastic trash the negative effects are already visible in most marine species groups and threaten several of the world’s most important marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangrove forests.
In marine areas that are also subject to other threats, such as overfishing, global warming, eutrophication or shipping, the negative effects of plastic debris are intensifying, WWF says. For endangered species in these areas, such as Mediterranean monk seals or stray roads, plastic debris is an additional stressor that threatens populations.
The report, published by WWF, is based on about 2,600 studies. This is by far the most comprehensive analysis of the effects of plastic litter on ocean species and ecosystems.
WWF is urging states to sign an international plastic waste agreement at the UN Environment Conference in Kenya at the end of February.
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