New discovery of the threat from 'plastitar'

Researchers from La Laguna University in Spain have discovered a new form of pollution, with a combination of microplastics and tar deposited on coastal rocks.

Researchers exploring the Canary Islands in Spain have discovered solid blocks of tar with many small pieces of plastic clinging to the rocks on the island of Tenerife.

They quickly discovered that the mixture of tar and microplastics was not like previous types of plastic pollution, and named it "plastitar" - after the English name for the two compounds.

"The presence of plastic in the environment is no longer limited to microplastics or bottles drifting in the sea. It is now a combination of two pollutants," said Associate Professor Javier Hernández Borges of La University. Laguna, who coined the term plastitar, said.

More than two years after researchers stumbled upon the mix, the finding was captured in a recent study, which describes plastitar as an 'unresolved threat' to the coastal environment. , according to the Guardian on June 13.

The "plastitar" is a new form of coastal pollution that combines microplastics and tar, the researchers say.

The team says the formation of plastitar is simple: As oil spills in the ocean evaporate and solidify, it then washes ashore like "tar balls" clinging to the rocky shores of the archipelago. Canary.

When waves carrying microplastics or any other type of marine debris hit rocks, these debris stick to the tar. Over time, the mixture of tar, microplastics or polyester and nylon fibers clings to each other and solidifies.

Although more studies are needed to assess the impact of plastitar on the environment, the team believes that the combination of microplastics and hydrocarbons found in tar could leak toxic substances, threatening the life of species. organisms such as algae.

Although plastitar has only been discovered on coastal rocks, the team believes that this mixture can occur in many parts of the world, because tar and microplastics are common in the sea.