It has long been said by those in the boating world that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into, but recent research has shown that in addition to being expensive, boats are also the source of widespread contamination in a number of shellfish.
What's happening?
Researchers from the universities of Brighton and Portsmouth carried out the cutting-edge study, which, as reported by Resource.co, found alarming levels of glass-reinforced plastic particles in shellfish sampled from Chichester Harbour in the United Kingdom.
Particles of GRP, a material used in boat manufacturing, were found in the tissues of mussels and oysters sampled close to an active boatyard. The worrying results from this study suggest that there could be around 20 GRP particles in every mussel we consume and up to 225 in each oyster.
Corina Ciocan, one of the researchers behind this new discovery, commented: 'It's a stark reminder of the hidden dangers in our environment."
Why is GRP contamination important?
Plastics are contaminating our world, and there is mounting evidence of the problems this may cause.
In 2023, 11.55 million recreational vessels were registered in the U.S. and a large percentage of these are made from GRP. When a boat comes to the end of its life, GRP, which is difficult to dispose of, usually ends up in a landfill. Unfortunately, some are also abandoned and sunk. Both of these situations can lead to chemicals and microplastics leaking into the environment as the boats break down, which can pose a hazard to human health as well as the environment.
Finding GRP particles inside shellfish is particularly concerning, not only for the health of the shellfish but also for people. These harmful substances can bioaccumulate as you go up the food chain, meaning that those at the top of the food chain — like humans — are more severely affected.
What's being done about plastic contamination?
More and more people are recognizing the urgent need to recycle and reduce the amount of waste going to landfills or ending up in our oceans, and boats are no exception.
Several areas are building a fiberglass boat recycling program supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program to promote recycling and reduce marine debris.
Several other ocean clean-up programs are also in place, many of which use innovative technologies such as Mr. Trash Wheel and the Jellyfishbot. The main aim of these initiatives is to reduce the amount of plastic contamination, which will not only protect the health of our oceans but also go a long way toward protecting human health.
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