PLASTIC WASTE ON BEACHES CAN NOW BE DETECTED USING SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY

Mon 11 November 2024:

Australian researchers have developed a new method to effectively spot plastic waste on beaches from space.

Plastic waste on beaches is a global environmental crisis, as tons of plastic waste, including bottles, bags, straws, and fishing gear, wash up on shorelines every day. This waste mainly comes from improperly managed plastic entering rivers, seas, and oceans, where currents carry it far and wide, eventually depositing it on beaches.

Detailed by a team from RMIT University in Melbourne in a study published on Thursday, the Beached Plastic Debris Index (BPDI) identified plastic on shorelines from patterns of reflected light collected by satellites as they pass over an area.

Satellite technology was widely used to track plastic waste in oceans but that technology was not effective for beaches due to plastic blending in with sand.

The team said that the new effective method for shorelines would boost clean-up efforts.

Jenna Guffogg, leader of the research, said that plastic on beaches could have severe impacts on wildlife and, if not removed, break down into micro and nano plastics.

“Plastics can be mistaken for food, larger animals become entangled and smaller ones, like hermit crabs, become trapped inside items such as plastic containers,” she said.

“Remote island beaches have some of the highest recorded densities of plastics in the world, and we’re also seeing increasing volumes of plastics and derelict fishing gear on the remote shorelines of northern Australia,” she said.

The BPDI identified plastics by differentiating between how sand, water and plastics reflect light.

It was tailored to map plastic debris on beaches using data captured by the WorldView-3 satellite, which was in orbit in line with the sun at an altitude of 617 kilometers.

To test the method, researchers placed 14 plastic targets of around two square meters in size on a beach in the Australian state of Victoria.

Each target was made of a different type of plastic and the team found the BPDI outperformed three existing indices that are used to detect plastic on land and in aquatic settings.

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Planet’s health and biodiversity

One of the biggest problems with plastic waste is that it doesn’t biodegrade; instead, it breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics. These particles persist in the environment for hundreds of years and can be ingested by marine life, which confuses them for food. This ingestion can lead to toxic accumulation, affecting not only the health of marine animals but also the entire food chain, including humans who consume seafood.

Plastic waste also poses physical dangers to marine wildlife. Sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals often get entangled in larger plastic items like fishing nets or six-pack rings, leading to injuries or death. The aesthetic and economic impacts are significant too: polluted beaches are less attractive to tourists, which can hurt coastal communities that rely on tourism for income.

Efforts to combat this issue involve reducing single-use plastics, implementing waste management improvements, and organizing beach clean-up initiatives. Many countries are also enacting laws to limit plastic production, increase recycling rates, and educate the public on responsible waste disposal. Addressing plastic pollution on beaches requires global collaboration, as this is a worldwide issue that transcends national borders and affects the planet’s health and biodiversity.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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