Large Plastic Waste Find In Baltic Sea
Image: Erkki Suonio
Microscopic plastic particles have been found in the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia. According to the newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet, Swedish research has ascertained there are much higher concentrations of particles from plastic garbage than earlier thought.
For the moment, it is unclear what impact the small particles have on the maritime environment.
The particles discovered in the sea are from plastic products such as bags and containers. Some of them come from waste water containing cosmetic and detergent remains.
Researchers have also found black coloured particles suspected of being derived from the surface of roads and tyres. Sweden intends to continue investigations into the particles and to develop research methods.
The findings are similar, though much smaller, to the large gyres of plastic and chemical marine waste found in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
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