scholarly journals Plastic waste release caused by COVID-19 and its fate in the global ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (47) ◽  
pp. e2111530118
Author(s):  
Yiming Peng ◽  
Peipei Wu ◽  
Amina T. Schartup ◽  
Yanxu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Medical Waste ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Plastic Debris ◽  
Plastic Model ◽  
Single Use ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastics that intensifies pressure on an already out-of-control global plastic waste problem. While it is suspected to be large, the magnitude and fate of this pandemic-associated mismanaged plastic waste are unknown. Here, we use our MITgcm ocean plastic model to quantify the impact of the pandemic on plastic discharge. We show that 8.4 ± 1.4 million tons of pandemic-associated plastic waste have been generated from 193 countries as of August 23, 2021, with 25.9 ± 3.8 thousand tons released into the global ocean representing 1.5 ± 0.2% of the global total riverine plastic discharge. The model projects that the spatial distribution of the discharge changes rapidly in the global ocean within 3 y, with a significant portion of plastic debris landing on the beach and seabed later and a circumpolar plastic accumulation zone will be formed in the Arctic. We find hospital waste represents the bulk of the global discharge (73%), and most of the global discharge is from Asia (72%), which calls for better management of medical waste in developing countries.

scholarly journals Recent Sea Ice Decline Did Not Significantly Increase the Total Liquid Freshwater Content of the Arctic Ocean

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Claudia Wekerle ◽  
Sergey Danilov ◽  
Dmitry Sidorenko ◽  
Nikolay Koldunov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sea Ice Decline ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
Eurasian Basin ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The freshwater stored in the Arctic Ocean is an important component of the global climate system. Currently the Arctic liquid freshwater content (FWC) has reached a record high since the beginning of the last century. In this study we use numerical simulations to investigate the impact of sea ice decline on the Arctic liquid FWC and its spatial distribution. The global unstructured-mesh ocean general circulation model Finite Element Sea Ice–Ocean Model (FESOM) with 4.5-km horizontal resolution in the Arctic region is applied. The simulations show that sea ice decline increases the FWC by freshening the ocean through sea ice meltwater and modifies upper ocean circulation at the same time. The two effects together significantly increase the freshwater stored in the Amerasian basin and reduce its amount in the Eurasian basin. The salinification of the upper Eurasian basin is mainly caused by the reduction in the proportion of Pacific Water and the increase in that of Atlantic Water (AW). Consequently, the sea ice decline did not significantly contribute to the observed rapid increase in the Arctic total liquid FWC. However, the changes in the Arctic freshwater spatial distribution indicate that the influence of sea ice decline on the ocean environment is remarkable. Sea ice decline increases the amount of Barents Sea branch AW in the upper Arctic Ocean, thus reducing its supply to the deeper Arctic layers. This study suggests that all the dynamical processes sensitive to sea ice decline should be taken into account when understanding and predicting Arctic changes.

scholarly journals The impact and effectiveness of the general public wearing masks to reduce the spread of pandemics in the UK: a multidisciplinary comparison of single-use masks versus reusable face masks.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayse Lisa Allison ◽  
Esther Ambrose-Dempster ◽  
Teresa Domenech Aparsi ◽  
Maria Bawn ◽  
Miguel Casas Arredondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Material Flow ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Material Flow Analysis ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Cost Comparison ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Behavioural Research ◽  
Single Use ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government has mandated the use of face masks in various public settings and recommends the use of reusable masks to combat shortages of medically graded single-use masks in healthcare. To assist decision-making on the choice of masks for future pandemics, where shortages may not be a contributing factor, the UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub has carried out a multidisciplinary comparison between single-use and reusable masks based on their anatomy, standalone effectiveness, behavioural considerations, environmental impacts and costs. Although current single-use masks have a higher standalone effectiveness against bacteria and viruses, studies show that reusable masks have adequate performance in slowing infection rates of respiratory viruses. Material Flow Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment and cost comparison show that reusable masks have a lower environmental and economic impact than single-use masks. If every person in the UK uses one single-use mask each day for a year, it will create a total of 124,000 tonnes of waste, 66,000 tonnes of which would be unrecyclable contaminated plastic waste (the masks), with the rest being the recyclable packaging typically used for transportation and distribution of masks.Using reusable masks creates >85% less waste, generates 3.5 times lower impact on climate change and incurs 3.7 times lower costs. Further behavioural research is necessary to understand the extent and current practices of mask use; and how these practices affect mask effectiveness in reducing infection rates. Wearing single-use masks may be preferred over reusable masks due to perceptions of increased hygiene and convenience. Understanding behaviour towards the regular machine-washing of reusable masks for their effective reuse is key to maximise their public health benefits and minimise environmental and economic costs.

scholarly journals Labrador Sea freshening linked to Beaufort Gyre freshwater release

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaxu Zhang ◽  
Wilbert Weijer ◽  
Michael Steele ◽  
Wei Cheng ◽  
Tarun Verma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Labrador Sea ◽  
Beaufort Gyre ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Freshwater Release ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe Beaufort Gyre (BG), the largest Arctic Ocean freshwater reservoir, has drastically increased its liquid freshwater content by 40% in the past two decades. If released within a short period, the excess freshwater could potentially impact the large-scale ocean circulation by freshening the upper subpolar North Atlantic. Here, we track BG-sourced freshwater using passive tracers in a global ocean sea-ice model and show that this freshwater exited the Arctic mostly through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, rather than Fram Strait, during an historical release event in 1983–1995. The Labrador Sea is the most affected region in the subpolar North Atlantic, with a freshening of 0.2 psu on the western shelves and 0.4 psu in the Labrador Current. Given that the present BG freshwater content anomaly is twice the historical analog studied here, the impact of a future rapid release on Labrador Sea salinity could be significant, easily exceeding similar fluxes from Greenland meltwater.

scholarly journals Strategi Pengurangan Sampah Plastik di Laut Pada Kawasan Konservasi Perairan Nusa Penida : Studi Kasus Pulau Nusa Lembongan

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
I Kadek Yogi Wiantara ◽  
I Gede Hendrawan ◽  
Widiastuti Widiastuti
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Small Islands ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Single Use ◽  
Marine Areas ◽  
Internal And External Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Coastal and marine areas on small islands have a higher vulnerability to the impact of plastic waste, where plastic is a material that is difficult to decompose. Nusa Lembongan Island is one of the small islands that is included in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) and is one of the world's marine tourism destinations with various tourism activities in it. Tourism activities have a large enough opportunity for plastic waste pollution in the environment. This study aims to develop a priority strategy for reducing plastic waste based on the approach of internal and external factors on the island of Nusa Lembongan using the analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT), and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Data were collected by observation, literature study, interviews, and questionnaires. Respondents were determined by purposive sampling and snowball sampling. The results of the data obtained were analyzed using the SWOT method which resulted in alternative strategies which were then analyzed using the AHP method. The results of the study indicate that the priority strategy is to maximize environmental facilities and add segregated waste bins to create mutually beneficial relationships with groups of self-management services and to realize the prevention of the use of single-use plastic waste as stated in Pergub Bali no. 97 of 2018 take advantage of the support of local NGOs to carry out synergistic and sustainable socialization.

scholarly journals New Cost-Effective Technologies Applied to the Study of the Glacier Melting Influence on Physical and Biological Processes in Kongsfjorden Area (Svalbard)

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 593
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Pasculli ◽  
Viviana Piermattei ◽  
Alice Madonia ◽  
Gabriele Bruzzone ◽  
Massimo Caccia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Unmanned Vehicles ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Trophic Chain ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Phytoplankton Productivity ◽  
Glacier Melting ◽  
The Impact

The Arctic region is greatly affected by climate change, with evident alterations in both physical and biological processes: temperatures are changing at a rate that is twice the global average and phytoplankton productivity is directly affected by ice melting. Continuous monitoring of this ecosystem is fundamental to gain greater understanding of the impact of changes on the natural environment, but the Global Ocean Observing System only provides partial coverage in these extreme areas, which are particularly difficult to reach. Technological progress in oceanographic measurement capabilities is indispensable for the implementation of marine observatories, especially in these remote regions. In recent years, autonomous systems and cost-effective technologies have proved to be valuable for increasing spatial and temporal coverage of data. This is the case with the innovative ArLoC (Arctic Low-Cost) probe, which was designed and developed for easy integration into various types of platforms, enabling continuous measurement of temperature, pressure and fluorescence of chlorophyll a. This work reports on the results of two scientific campaigns carried out in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Islands) in 2018 in the framework of the UVASS (Unmanned Vehicles for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling) research project. The ArLoC probe was integrated onboard the PROTEUS (Portable RObotic TEchnology for Unmanned Surveys) unmanned semi-submersible vehicle and this allowed us to collect important data in the stretches of sea near tidewater glacier fronts. The acquired data showed several significant effects of glacier melting such as: high temperature and salinity gradients, which cause considerable variations in water mass stratification, and an increase in turbidity and the chlorophyll a concentration, which directly affects primary productivity and the trophic chain. During the surveys, ArLoC proved to be an easy-to-integrate, very reliable instrument, which permitted high spatial resolution investigation of ecological processes during glacier melting as never studied before.

3. Life in the coastal ocean

2020 ◽  
pp. 48-70
Author(s):  
Philip V. Mladenov
Keyword(s):  
Human Population ◽  
Coastal Ocean ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Narrow Strip ◽  
Plastic Debris ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Kelp Bed ◽  
Ocean Environment ◽  
The Impact

The coastal regions of the Global Ocean comprise a narrow strip of ocean extending from the shoreline to the edge of the continental shelf. This coastal ocean environment accounts for only about 7 per cent of the area of the Global Ocean, but it is of huge importance to human society. Roughly 44 per cent of the human population lives within 150 kilometres of a coast, meaning that the coastal ocean is heavily impacted by human activities. ‘Life in the coastal ocean’ describes the kelp bed habitats, the seagrass meadows, and soft-bottom communities, before considering the impact of harmful phytoplankton blooms, biological invasions, and the increase in plastic debris in our oceans.

scholarly journals An Overview of Plastic Waste Generation and Management in Food Packaging Industries

Recycling ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Lindani Koketso Ncube ◽  
Albert Uchenna Ude ◽  
Enoch Nifise Ogunmuyiwa ◽  
Rozli Zulkifli ◽  
Isaac Nongwe Beas
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
High Population Growth ◽  
Single Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mixed Types ◽  
Land Water

Over the years, the world was not paying strict attention to the impact of rapid growth in plastic use. This has led to unprecedented amounts of mixed types of plastic waste entering the environment unmanaged. Packaging plastics account for half of the global total plastic waste. This paper seeks to give an overview of the use, disposal, and regulation of food packaging plastics. Demand for food packaging is on the rise as a result of increasing global demand for food due to population growth. Most of the food packaging are used on-the-go and are single use plastics that are disposed of within a short space of time. The bulk of this plastic waste has found its way into the environment contaminating land, water and the food chain. The food industry is encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging materials. A wholistic approach to waste management will need to involve all stakeholders working to achieve a circular economy. A robust approach to prevent pollution today rather than handling the waste in the future should be adopted especially in Africa where there is high population growth.

DYAMOND-II simulations with IFS-FESOM2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Rackow ◽  
Nils Wedi ◽  
Kristian Mogensen ◽  
Peter Dueben ◽  
Helge F. Goessling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Marine Research ◽  
Curvilinear Grid ◽  
The Impact

<p>This presentation will give an overview about an ongoing collaboration between the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Our recent development is a single-executable coupled configuration of the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) and the Finite Volume Sea Ice-Ocean Model, FESOM2. This configuration is set up to participate in the DYAMOND project alongside ECMWF’s default IFS-NEMO configuration. IFS-FESOM2 and IFS-NEMO are tentative models to generate “Digital Twin” storm-scale, coupled simulations as envisioned in the European Destination Earth (DestinE) and Next Generation Earth Modelling Systems (NextGEMS) projects.</p><p>FESOM2 has a novel dynamical core that supports multi-resolution triangular grids. The model and its predecessor FESOM1 have been used in many studies over the last decade, with a focus on the role of the polar regions in global ocean circulation. The impact of eddy-permitting and locally eddy-resolving resolution has been addressed in CMIP6 and HighResMIP simulations as part of the AWI-CM-1-1 global climate model, while simulations with up to 1km resolution in the Arctic Ocean have been performed in stand-alone mode.</p><p>Initially, two coupled IFS-FESOM2 configurations have been tested: A coarse-resolution setup with a nominal 1° ocean, and a DYAMOND-II configuration with 0.25° ocean and IFS at 4.5km global resolution on average. For the latter configuration, FESOM2 is mimicking the “ORCA025” tri-polar curvilinear grid of the NEMO model, whose grid boxes have been split into triangles. Initialisation is from ECMWF’s analysis for IFS and NEMO, and from an ERA5-forced ocean spin-up for FESOM2. We discuss technical challenges with respect to the hybrid OpenMP and MPI parallelization in a single-executable context, describe a novel strategy for resource-efficient writing of model output, and summarise future applications such as exploring the impact of flexible FESOM2 grid configurations on the atmosphere - with ocean simulations that resolve leads in sea ice and ocean eddies almost everywhere.</p>

scholarly journals The impact and effectiveness of the general public wearing masks to reduce the spread of pandemics in the UK: a multidisciplinary comparison of single-use masks versus reusable face masks

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Lisa Allison ◽  
Esther Ambrose-Dempster ◽  
Maria Bawn ◽  
Miguel Casas Arredondo ◽  
Charnett Chau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Material Flow Analysis ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Cost Comparison ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
University College London ◽  
Single Use ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the UK government mandated the use of face masks in various public settings and recommended the use of reusable masks to combat shortages of medically graded single-use masks in healthcare. To assist decision-making on the choice of masks for future pandemics, where shortages may not be a contributing factor, the University College London (UCL) Plastic Waste Innovation Hub has carried out a multidisciplinary comparison between single-use and reusable masks based on their anatomy, standalone effectiveness, behavioural considerations, environmental impact and costs. Although current single-use masks have a higher standalone effectiveness against bacteria and viruses, studies show that reusable masks have adequate performance in slowing infection rates of respiratory viruses. Material flow analysis (MFA), life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost comparison show that reusable masks have a lower environmental and economic impact than single-use masks. If every person in the UK uses one single-use mask each day for a year, it will create a total of 124,000 tonnes of waste, 66,000 tonnes of which would be unrecyclable contaminated plastic waste (the masks), with the rest being the recyclable packaging typically used for transportation and distribution of masks. Using reusable masks creates >85% less waste, generates 3.5 times lower impact on climate change and incurs 3.7 times lower costs. Further behavioural research is necessary to understand the extent and current practices of mask use; and how these practices affect mask effectiveness in reducing infection rates. Wearing single-use masks may be preferred over reusable masks due to perceptions of increased hygiene and convenience. Understanding behaviour towards the regular machine-washing of reusable masks for their effective reuse is key to maximise their public health benefits and minimise environmental and economic costs.

scholarly journals The impact and effectiveness of the general public wearing masks to reduce the spread of pandemics in the UK: a multidisciplinary comparison of single-use masks versus reusable face masks.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayse Lisa Allison ◽  
Esther Ambrose-Dempster ◽  
Teresa Domenech Aparsi ◽  
Maria Bawn ◽  
Miguel Casas Arredondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Material Flow ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Material Flow Analysis ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Cost Comparison ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Behavioural Research ◽  
Single Use ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government has mandated the use of face masks in various public settings and recommends the use of reusable masks to combat shortages of medically graded single-use masks in healthcare. To assist decision-making on the choice of masks for future pandemics, where shortages may not be a contributing factor, the UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub has carried out a multidisciplinary comparison between single-use and reusable masks based on their anatomy, standalone effectiveness, behavioural considerations, environmental impacts and costs. Although current single-use masks have a higher standalone effectiveness against bacteria and viruses, studies show that reusable masks have adequate performance in slowing infection rates of respiratory viruses. Material Flow Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment and cost comparison show that reusable masks have a lower environmental and economic impact than single-use masks. If every person in the UK uses one single-use mask each day for a year, it will create a total waste of 124,000 tonnes, 66,000 tonnes of which would be unrecyclable contaminated plastic waste. Using reusable masks creates >85% less waste, generates 3.5 times lower impact on climate change and incurs 3.7 times lower costs. Further behavioural research is necessary to understand the extent and current practices of mask use, and its effectiveness in reducing infection rates. Wearing single-use masks may be preferred over reusable masks due to perceptions of increased hygiene and convenience. Understanding behaviour towards the regular machine-washing of reusable masks for their effective reuse is key to maximise their public health benefits and minimise environmental and economic costs.

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