The Mersey, Liverpool’s famous River, was tested by environmental group Greenpeace, and it was found that it had high levels of microplastic junk in it. It has more plastic floating in it in compassion to the infamous ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’.
As per the research, however, every UK River contains micro plastic but The Mersey which runs for about 70 miles from Stockport, Cheshire found to have the highest number of it with a shocking 875 pieces which found in just half an hour of sampling in its waters. As per the experts note the most polluted segment of the Mersey is downstream from a plastic factory.
The Greenpeace is requesting the Government to introduce bold new plastic reduction targets and also to create an independent watchdog along with powers to implement them.
Campaigners along with scientists samples about 30 points in many rivers counting Trent, Mersey, Aire, Derwent, Exe, Thames, Severn, Great Ouse, Wear, Conwy, Wye, Clyde as well as Lagan. The analysis by scientists regarding the samples was done by using an infrared detector which found micro plastic in 28 out of 30 locations which were tested.
The micros plastic which was found in these locations includes plastic ranging from fragments of bottle tops and straws. These tiny micro beads were less than 1 mm in size and were caught in the specially designed net.
These pieces found in the Mersey River is the reasons that the waterways are now more polluted than the Acidic Garbage Patch, which is considered as one of the most polluted expanses of water on the Earth.
As per the environmental campaign group, the amount of plastic they found in the samples would count about 2 million pieces of micro plastic per square km, which is very much shocking. It is just doubled the amount that was found in a survey of North Pacific gyre done in 2014 and in which found about 1 million pieces of micro plastic per square km.
This latest research and survey also found tiny spherical pieces of plastic in five rivers which were frequently used in cosmetics as well as household products. Shockingly these were partially banned since 2017.
After this research, the spearheaded action to tackle plastic pollution has been requested and led calls to impose a charge on plastic bags too. The most instances of micro beads and nurdles were found in the River Mersey, which is downstream from a plastic factory. As per the Greenpeace spokesperson, ‘we cannot make a statement as to why the Mersey is so polluted in comparison to any other river that we tested. However, we can confirm that this UK River is the only River that we tested with a plastic factory on it.’
In Greenpeace survey, more than four-fifths of the polymers count polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethene, which are utilized to make a product like packaging, food, milk and water bottles along Fiona Nicholls, with carrier bags. As per ocean plastics campaigner for Greenpeace UK,’ this latest survey is a wakeup call for Government.
Fixing around the edges of the plastic pollution problem by banning straws does not cut it. However, we have to observe bold new plastic reduction targets in the upcoming environmental Bill. We should also aim to at least halve sole usage of plastic production by 2025 at least.’
On the other hand wildlife expert and TV presenter, Steve Backshall, alleged ‘ ‘ latest Greenpeace survey has discovered that The Mersey is much more polluted than The Great Pacific Garbage Patch and for sure this will galvanize us all of doing something regarding this in a serious way.
Since plastic pollution is not only a domestic matter as its impact are notified on wildlife and humans worldwide. Thus for the sake of nature and future generations, we should stop producing this, and it is the only way forward.’
