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Argentine marine biologist Tatiana Recabarren Villalón was part of a team from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (Conicet) that was at a Magellanic penguin rescue station in the Argentine province of Bahía Blanca, on the South Atlantic, on an expedition in which they discovered how microplastics were affecting that species. “They arrived skinny, they had no muscles or fat layer to face the aquatic migration and the different temperatures in the water,” she recalls. Villalón and her colleagues were trying to rehabilitate the so-called juvenile penguins that are of the species Spheniscus magellanicusfrom the Patagonian colonies in southern Argentina that migrate to Brazil. “They usually arrive sick and the first thing we did for this study was to measure their biological parameters. Those that did not manage to survive, we analyzed them and that is when we found plastic and metal pieces in the digestive tract,” explains the biologist.
The team of experts carefully separated all the organic matter and classified it according to size, type and colour to analyse the evidence of the presence of microplastics. First, a fibreglass filter was used. “Using the magnifying glass, you start to see bright shapes and colours. A fluorescent green or red indicates the anthropogenic origin of the particle. What surprised me was that all the samples were different. Since penguins eat fish and have a very specific diet, these microplastics probably came from the same fish they ate or in their food.” The following stages consist of carrying out other tests to effectively verify that they are microplastics. “To confirm this, one of the procedures is the hot needle test. You heat a needle and when you bring it close to it you see how the plastic melts,” explains Villalón.
According to the findings, which were published in the scientific magazine Marine Pollution Bulletin in 2023, In all the birds studied, microparticles made up 91% of the waste found, of which 97% were fibres of anthropic origin, that is, derived from human activity. Microplastics are present on the continent and also in the oceans. They travel and move. “They are dragged by the different currents that are constant-direction movements of large masses of the surface layers of the seas and oceans. They can be thought of as rivers within the ocean, moving at a faster speed than the surrounding water. Over the years, they culminate in the so-called convergence zones or subtropical gyres,” explains Andrés Arias, a researcher at Conicet.
Antarctica is no stranger to the impacts of microplastics and cellulosic microfragments in maritime waters. investigation A 2019 study by the University of Canterbury in New Zealand collected snow samples from 19 sites across the continent. Those tests showed an average of 29 microplastic particles in the melted snow. The alert was brought to the United Nations, through the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, particularly in the marine environment. At its fourth meeting last April in Ottawa, Canada, progress was made on concerns, but no clear decision was reached.
Experts are calling for the creation of an international treaty to end plastic pollution in the world, something that does not seem close at hand. “We need political will and for the work to be transparent to prevent economic interests from diluting the treaty,” says researcher Marina Fernández, who participated in the Ottawa meeting as a member of the scientific society. Endocrine SocietyThe next session will be in South Korea at the end of 2024, where the drafting of a global treaty will be discussed. “It is proposed by the United Nations General Assembly. But there are delaying tactics to simply consume debate time and stretch out decisions. Ultimately, it is a struggle of interests,” says researcher Arias.
While political progress is delayed, scientists are finding more evidence of microplastics in maritime waters in the southernmost areas of the world. This year, a team of researchers from the scientific department of the Chilean Antarctic Institute and the British Antarctic Survey detected microfragments, microfibers of plastic and cellulose in a species of clam called Laternula elliptica in Fildes Bay on King George Island (Maritime Antarctica). “This species of clam always remains in the same location. And despite the reduced human presence in this region, the marine waters and its fauna are in contact with pollution,” explains alarmed Chilean researcher Rodolfo Rondón.
“There are 16,000 chemicals present in plastics, of which very few are regulated by multilateral treaties and analyzed with criteria of safety, sustainability and transparency,” emphasizes Fernández. At the last meeting of the CIN in Canada, there were many representatives from different industries of the American Chamber of Chemical Products, such as Unilever, Nestlé, Coca Cola, Pepsi and World Plastics Council. “Something that really caught our attention was the strong lobbying of the industry. At the airport they were waiting for us with signs that said: “These plastics save lives.” It was an initiative funded by a company called Husky Technologies. That is due to the great economic interest,” says the researcher.
Global concern about the production of this material is growing: around 450 million tons of virgin plastic are currently produced each year. Scientists are not alone in their warnings. For example, the NGO Antarctic Agenda is currently promoting a global campaign to raise awareness in the international community about the growing pollution in that region. It is also a way to contribute to a change in the cultural paradigm of consumption and end dependence on this material. They are currently collecting firms to demand the adoption of a binding Global Treaty on Plastics. “It is a call to action for nations, corporations and individuals to address the global problem of plastic pollution in oceans,” says Horacio Werner, director of the Antarctic Agenda.
Building a future without plastics to improve quality of life seems to be increasingly present in civil consciousness, although it does not seem to be easy to achieve. Some experts say, with small doses of optimism, that they hope for greater control of plastic production or its replacement by other materials. “It is extremely urgent to take committed measures. The chemicals in plastic can directly affect animal and human health. They cause, for example, alterations that can lead to infertility, diabetes or cancer,” emphasizes researcher Fernández. According to a United Nations report, plastic pollution could be reduced by 80% by 2040 if countries and companies make profound changes in their policies and markets. “I think it is a task for everyone, not just for scientists or opinion makers. There must be pressure on the authorities. And it is important to be clear that defending the environment is also social justice and human rights,” concludes Arias.
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