80% of all ocean plastics come from more than 1,000 rivers with hotspots in Asia and West Africa, study finds
- A new study finds 1,000 rivers worldwide account for 80% of all ocean plastics
- This debunks previous work that suggested only 10 major rivers contributed
- The latest works also found that small urban rivers dump the most plastics
- South East Asia and West Africa are the main hot spots for plastic emission Some 2.7 million metric tons of plastic make their way into the oceans each year and a new study finds the trove of trash comes from 1,656 rivers.
The findings debunk previous research that suggested 90 percent of ocean plastics came just 10 major river systems – the latest concludes that the number is 100 times that.
Several institutions in the Netherlands and one in Germany found these systems contribute to up to 80 percent of all plastics dumped in oceans, with urban areas of South East Asia and West Africa identified as the main hot spots for plastic emission.
However, the team, working with the non-profit Ocean Cleanup Project, notes that this only accounts for one percent of rivers worldwide, 'which means solving the problem is feasible.'
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Some 2.7 million metric tons of plastic make their way into the oceans each year and a new study finds the trove of trash comes from 1,656 rivers. The map highlights areas where rivers are dumping the most plastic
Tons of plastic debris makes its way into the oceans every day and as of 2020 there were some 5.25 trillion pieces of waste with 269,000 ton of it floating on the surface.
Scientists worldwide are working tirelessly to uncover how the trash is being distributed and the latest study may have solved the mystery
It was believed that the largest culprits are smaller rivers in urban areas and not large rivers that travel long distances. Now, the 16-mile Pasig River (pictured) in the Philippines is now considered a greater contributor to ocean plastics
The largest contributing country estimated by our model was the Philippines with its 4,840 rivers dumping more than 356,000 metric tons a year. Pictured is the Meycuayan (A,C) and Tullahan river (B,D)basins and river network in Manila, Philippines
It was believed that the largest culprits are smaller rivers in urban areas and not large rivers that travel long distances.
Now, the 16-mile Pasig River in the Philippines is now considered a greater contributor to ocean plastics than the Yantze that was once named the most plastic-polluted river.
'It's not the great rivers of the world [doing the polluting],' Ocean Cleanup Project CEO, Boyan Slat, says in the video.
'It's sort of smaller rivers through cities in rising economies; that's where the plastic pollution hotspots of the world can be found.'
These more than 1,000 rivers account for nearly 80 percent of global annual emissions, ranging between 0.8 million and 2.7 million metric tons per year, with small urban rivers among the most polluting
The non-profit designed a tool to track plastic flowing into the oceans, which shows these more than 1,000 rivers account for nearly 80 percent of global annual emissions, ranging between 0.8 million and 2.7 million metric tons per year, with small urban rivers among the most polluting.
Researchers found three main drivers along routes: wind and various forms of precipitation that move plastics from one area to another; the way land is used and its geography—different types of terrain can make it easier for plastics to be moved by natural forces; and the distance plastics have to travel to get to the sea, Phys.org reports.
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