35,000 tons of plastic floating on world oceans

Research by international scientists shows that up to 35,000 tons of plastic are floating on the surface of world oceans, causing serious pollution.

According to research published in the June 30 issue of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), waste plastics are currently floating around all global oceans. This is the result of the research project Malaspina Expedition led by Cadiz University (Spain).

Waste made from drifting plastic on the Pacific sea surface - (Photo: NBC)

The oceanic floating plastic is mainly polyethylene and polypropylene , two polymers used to produce everyday life products such as shopping bags, food and beverage containers, toys . Plastic Marine discharges are most concentrated in five regions, the western United States, the region between the US and Africa, the west of southern South America, the east and west of southern Africa. Professor Andres Cozar warns that marine organisms can eat small plastic particles, which can have serious health effects.

'We are releasing a large amount of plastic into the natural environment. We are fundamentally changing the structure of world oceans' - Professor Kara Lavender Law, a plastic pollution researcher from the Massachusetts Marine Education Association (USA), warned.

The Malaspina Expedition project started in December 2010 with the participation of more than 400 scientists worldwide. The oceanographic research vessel Hespérides has been moving around the world oceans since that time to collect data on marine plastic waste.