[FREE REPORT] Mermaid Tears.by Rosa Domingos | 03-09-2019 15:14 |
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 ¡®Nurdles¡¯ may sound cute but they pose a huge danger to the marine environment. Nurdles aka ¡®mermaid tears¡¯, are small plastic pellets, the building blocks for most plastic goods, from single-use water bottles to televison sets. These small pellets – normally between 1mm and 5mm – are classed as a primary microplastic alongside the microbeads used in cosmetic products – they¡¯re small on purpose, as opposed to other microplastics that break off from larger plastic waste in the ocean (Gwinnett, 2019). They are a feedstock in the plastic industry. And instead of being converted into household items, many of them end up in the ocean, collecting toxins on their surfaces and being eaten by marine wildlife. Not so cute now, are they? The small size of nurdles makes them easy to transport as the raw material which can be melted down and moulded into all kinds of plastic products by manufacturers. Unfortunately, mismanagement of these little pellets during transport and processing leads to billions being unintentionally released into rivers and oceans through effluent pipes, blown from land or via industrial spillage(Gwinnett, 2019). . ¡®Mermaid tears¡¯ is an appropriate nickname when we consider the potential harm that nurdles have on marine life(Gwinnett, 2019). Their small size, round shape and array of colours make them attractive food – easily mistaken for fish eggs and small prey. This ¡°food¡± has an extra problem – it comes with a side of noxious chemicals. The large surface area to size ratio and polymer composition of the nurdle pellets allow persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in seawater to build up on their surfaces. These toxins then transfer to the tissue of organisms which eat them. The problem is in the name – POPs are ¡°persistent¡±, meaning they don¡¯t go away easily and can remain on the surface of nurdles for years. Nurdles can be so noxious that people cleaning beaches or recording pellets for scientific surveys are advised not to touch them with their bare skin – which makes sun bathing on many beaches in the summer an unattractive prospect. So you may ask yourself, how many nurdles are out there in the ocean and on coastlines? It¡¯s estimated that up to 53 billion nurdles are released annually in the UK from the plastic industry alone, who know how much nurdles are being released from the rest of the world(Gwinnett, 2019). 53 billion is the same amount of nurdles that it would take to make 88 million plastic bottles. So why are nurdles rarely discussed in the plastic pollution debate? I wonder... Reference List: Gwinnett, C,. 2019. The major source of ocean plastic pollution you¡¯ve probably never heard of. [Online]. Available: https://environmentjournal.online/articles/the-major-source-of-ocean-plastic-pollution-youve-probably-never-heard-of/. Accessed: 2 Sep 2019. 12 march, 2019. (& Cover picture). |
