Marine and freshwater microplastic research in South Africa

作者：Verster Carina; Minnaar Karin; Bouwman Hindrik

来源：Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2017, 13(3): 533-535.

DOI：10.1002/ieam.1900

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:label /><jats:p>South Africa has a vibrant plastics manufacturing industry, but recycling is limited and insufficient with a notable proportion of the unmanaged waste entering the environment. South Africa is a developing country with microplastics research in its inception. Very little is known about freshwater microplastics, and studies on South African marine microplastics are limited but actively being pursued. In a water‐scarce country, protection of freshwater resources remains a priority, but in the face of other socioeconomic issues (poverty, unemployment, and HIV/AIDS), it receives insufficiently effective attention. The full impact and risks of microplastics pollution in water is yet to be discovered. The risks may be enhanced in a developing country where many communities remain largely dependent on the land and natural waters. With South Africa being a water‐scarce country, the quality of its aquatic resources is at an even greater risk with an assumed increasing background of microplastics, emphasizing the need for further research. A South African Water Research Commission–funded project is being undertaken to derive research priorities, but there is an immediate need for improved recycling and waste management. <jats:italic>Integr Environ Assess Manag</jats:italic> 2017;13:533–535.

• 出版日期2017-5