11. 2 Marine Debris Topics about marine environment pollution and marine litter 1)

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1 11. 2 Marine Debris Topics about marine environment pollution and marine litter 1) (1) Microplastics A team of researchers led by Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Professor Hideshige Takada announced in April 2016 that they had found microplastics, plastic pieces up to five millimeters floating in the sea, in the digestive systems of nearly 80 percent of Japanese anchovy caught in Tokyo Bay. This was the first time in Japan that microplastics were spotted inside fish, and the team said that anchovies might have mistaken plastic pieces for feed and swallowed them. Microplastics don t have a health impact on the human body even if people consume fish that swallowed plastic particles. However, if they continue to grow in volume, microplastics may have adverse effects on ocean ecosystems. Professor Takada said that effective measures need to be put in place to prevent microplastics from flowing into the sea. In August 2016, the team examined the digestive tubes of 64 Japanese anchovies caught in Tokyo Bay and detected 150 micro-plastic pieces out of 49. Of the 150 particles, approximately 80 percent were 0.1 to 1 millimeter in size. About ten percent were fine particles, called micro-beads, widely used in face cleansers and face wash to get rid of dead skin and skin dirt. They are usually filtered out at sewage treatment plants, but the team said that the particles found in Tokyo Bay might have flown into the bay when heavy rain caused sewage pipes to overflow in Tokyo. Professor Takada noted that fish in Tokyo Bay is thought to ingest more microplastics than widely expected on a daily basis, and that the level of microplastic ingestion by fish in his research was relatively high compared to similar surveys conducted overseas. Professor Takada said that microplastics are likely to absorb organic pollutants from the marine environment and that harmful chemicals taken in via microplastics have already been found in the body of seabirds. He went on to say that his team will further investigate possible effects of microplastics on marine creatures. (Chunichi Shimbun, 9 April 2016) A joint team of researchers from the Kyushu University and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology highlighted the existence of microplastics floating in the Antarctic Ocean and released their research results on the website of Marine Pollution Bulletin in September The research was conducted aboard Umitakamaru, an ocean research vessel owned by the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, between January and March This was the first case in the world in which the results of research on microplastic debris floating at the surface of the Southern Ocean have been reported to a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. ( 26 September 2016) Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Associate Professor Keiichi Uchida presented the results of research conducted between 2014 and 2016 on microplastic pieces spotted in the sea around the Japanese archipelago as well as the Antarctic Ocean at a symposium organized by the Ministry of the Environment in December Main points of the presentation were as follows. The average concentrations of microplastics in the waters around Japan were 1,720,000 parts/km 2, approximately 27 times the average figure in the world. The microplastic concentrations reached 286,000 parts/km 2 in some locations in the Southern Ocean, the furthest point from human livelihoods. This figure is comparable to the average level of the Northern hemisphere. On a country basis, those in East Asia and Southeast Asia had more plastic litter flowing into the oceans A wide variety of research activities need to be carried out to deal with future challenges facing seaborne debris. They include research on capturing nanoplastics using nets with smaller mesh size, programs covering below surface areas, research studying which marine creatures absorb how many microplastics and their impacts on ocean ecosystems, and programs examining the time required for drifting plastic litter to become 1

2 the size of microplastics. ( 10 December 2016) (2) Cleanup activities and their research results In July 2016, the Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN) uploaded the results of its cleanup campaign, called the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), conducted in A total of 28,587 people participated in the campaign held at 321 locations from Hokkaido in the north through Okinawa Prefecture in the south throughout the year. They collected a total of 128 tons of waste from coastlines, riversides, lakesides, inland and offshore areas totaling 188 kilometers in length. The autumn International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) program, a major segment of the campaign, attracted 9,628 participants, and they collected 237,889 pieces of seaborne debris along the Japanese coastline. Here are some observations by the JEAN from its survey on annual top ten seaborne litter items found around Japan over the last 25 years. There have been no major changes to the top ten litter items over the last 25 years. Hard plastics have been among the top three in 23 out of the 25 years, followed by cigarette butts and filters (20 years) and small pieces of polystyrene foam (17 years). Cigarette butts and filters were the most common seaborne litter item during the 1990s, but in the 2000s, they were replaced by small pieces of polystyrene foam. The volume of spotted plastic sheets, bags and bottles has increased over the period. Fireworks have become less commonly spotted, and they now occupy the 19 th spot in the litter item ranking. Plastic pipes used for oyster farming still claim the 7 th spot in the ranking. This means that the environmental issue involving oyster farming in the Seto Inland Sea has not been fully resolved. The JEAN summarizes the results of the survey as shown below. Drifting litter flowing into the oceans and reaching the sea bottoms is difficult to recover. It is spread over wide areas due to ocean currents, and mostly, it comes from our everyday lives, like food, beverages, cigarettes and other essential items. They flow into the sea not only from abroad, but also from Japanese cities and towns through rivers. Wider attention is being given to seaborne microplastics this year. They flow into the sea from land or they become microplastics after plastics in seaside areas or in waters are broken into smaller pieces. As it takes a long time for tiny plastics to decompose, they are carried to wider areas by ocean currents and sometimes stay at locations where people cannot reach, including inside the body of marine creatures. Given this, we should work to stop plastic trash from entering the oceans in the first instance. There is also an urgent need for us to collect floating plastic debris from the sea before they become fragmented. ( 3 July 2016) The general incorporated association Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN) hosted the 14 th Annual Marine Litter Summit 2016 Mie Conference in Ise City and Toba City, Mie Prefecture, in October A total of 600 participants were in attendance. On the first day of the conference, participants discussed the subject of biodiversity and seaborne litter. They enjoyed lectures and presentations, including those entitled the Status of Efforts to Prevent Ocean Pollution Caused by Microplastics, Thinking about Ocean Litter from the Viewpoint of Ecosystem Protection and Actions Taken at Coastal and Oceanic Areas. On the second day, discussions were centered around the subject of efforts to prevent plastic trash from entering the oceans and to reduce plastics flowing into the sea. The titles of lectures and presentations delivered on the day included Reduction of Plastic Use, Work to Stop Plastics Entering the Sea from Basins and Other Land Areas and Seaside Litter Collection Activities and International Collaboration. On the final day, the organizer held a panel discussion entitled To Further Develop Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region. Panelists and lecturers included 15 guests from non-profit organizations and research institutes in South 2

3 Korea, China, Taiwan, the United States, Canada and Europe. From Japan, government officials, NGO/NPO members and scientists working for private companies delivered speeches and presentations, helping the Summit 2016 surpassing the scale of their conferences held up until last year. At the end of the summit, key participants adopted the Toba Appeal, which outlined the major achievements of the conference. The JEAN is expected to inform concerned parties, including relevant government ministries and agencies and Diet members, of the outcome of the conference to make their proposals in the Toba Appeal come true. ( 10 March 2017) (3) Results of studies conducted by the Ministry of Environment and other organizations In April 2016, the Ministry of the Environment released tentative data on a study for FY 2015, which is part of its eight-year program to monitor the ocean environment surrounding Japan. The Ministry carries out this study every year to gain an understanding of Japan s marine environment by examining the qualities of water and bottom sediments, the situation surrounding marine creatures (density of marine life), biological communities and seaborne plastics. In FY 2015, the Ministry studied the quality of bottom sediments, biological communities and floating plastics in marine waters stretching from a volcano bay in the south-western part of Hokkaido to offshore areas in the south east of the bay. The results of the sediment study have shown that the latest data was similar to those in the past, and there was no sign of progress or expansion in pollution. In December 2016, the Ministry released the results of its studies on biological communities, seaborne plastics, marine life (biological density) and other elements as described below. The study on biological communities confirmed the effect of an oxygen-poor environment on seaborne communities. The study on floating plastics showed that the smaller plastic samples get, the more numerous they become, as demonstrated by the previous studies. In the research on whether ocean disposal of marine waste affects marine pollution, no specific links have been established. In the follow-up study on organofluorine compounds, concentrated perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has not been detected as was the case with the results of the past study for FY A high level of PFOS had been detected at a measuring point off the coast of Osaka Bay in the Ministry s survey for FY ( 11 April 2016) A team of researchers, including scientists from University of Aberdeen, published the results of their study in Nature Ecology and Evolution journal in February The results showed that the highest levels of PCBs recorded in crustaceans in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world s oceans, had been 50 times greater than that found in crabs from one of the most polluted rivers in China. (Online edition of the Asahi Shimbun, 4 February 2017) (4) Relevant international conferences and symposiums Japanese, Chinese and South Korean environment ministers attended the 18 th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM18) in Shizuoka City, in April Their Joint Communique identified the preservation of water and the marine environment as the key priority areas for trilateral environmental cooperation. The ministers welcomed the first workshop on marine litter held in China in September 2015 and the common intention reached at the workshop for accelerating data sharing on marine litter. They also agreed to strengthen their tripartite cooperation for efficient and effective solutions to address marine debris. As the first step toward this goal, the three ministers recognized the need for scientist-led workshops. ( 27 April 2016) 3

4 In the G7 Ise-shima Leaders Declaration issued in May 2016, the G7 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to address marine litter, recognizing that their efforts on resource efficiency and the 3Rs also contribute to the prevention and reduction of marine litter, particularly plastic, from land-based sources. In the G7 Toyama Environment Ministers Communique released around the same time, the issue of marine litter was covered prominently. The G7 environment ministers recognized that marine litter, in particular plastic litter and microplastics, poses a threat to marine ecosystems. They also reaffirmed the importance of the "G7 Action Plan to Combat Marine Litter" adopted at the Elmau Summit in 2015 and its efficient implementation. In the Communique of the G7 Ministers of Science and Technology 2016, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, the future of the seas and oceans was highlighted as a major concern that we need to deal with. The G7 ministers reaffirmed the importance of their scientific work to better understand the extent and impacts of marine litter. ( pdf, 12 July 2016) At the 17 th United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea held at the UN Headquarters in New York in June 2016, participants discussed the topics of marine debris, plastics and microplastics. They examined environmental, social and economic dimensions of marine debris and work to reduce marine litter. Approximately 30 panelists attended the conference from governments of various countries, international bodies, research organizations and NGOs, including Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Professor Hideshige Takada from Japan. ( 4 August 2016) In July 2016, the United Nations released its initial report to begin work to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sustainable Development Goals Report The SDGs, which are designed to change the world by 2030, were adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit held at the UN Headquarters in New York in September The report will serve as the benchmark for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is a new action plan covering the period between 2016 and 2030, and it highlights the goal of seeking to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The United Nations will continue to produce this report on an annual basis, and the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2016 assesses the situation surrounding (1) fishery resources: (2) marine areas under protection: (3) coastal eutrophication. ( ort/, 22 July 2016) In December 2016, the International and Domestic Symposium on Marine Litter was held in Tokyo. The titles of presentations and the names of presenters were as follows. Plastics in the Ocean: Are There Solutions to This Global Environment Problem? - Professor Richard C. Thompson, Plymouth University, UK History and Advances in the Understanding of the Marine Microplastic Pollution - Professor Andrés CÓZAR, University of Cádiz, Spain The Case of Missing Microplastic: Using Computers to Simulate the Sources, Pathways and Fate of Microplastics in the Ocean - Dr. Erik van SEBILLE, Imperial College London, UK Microplastic Pollution: Pollution on a Global Scale, Trends over Time and Action toward Solutions - Professor Hideshige Takada, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology The Status of Microplastics Distribution off the Coast of and in the Oceans Surrounding Japan and its Future Developments - Associate Professor Keiichi Uchida, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Cooperative Action among Local Municipalities to Address Floating Marine Debris Toshiyuki Kobayashi, 4

5 Water Environment Group, Air and Water Environment Division, Department of Environmental and Social Affairs, Mie Prefectural Government Female Junior and Senior High Students Attempts to Help Resolve the Issue of Litter at the Bottom of the Sea in the Seto Inland Sea Takashi Inoue, Okayama Sanyo Joshi High School Warning from the Deep-sea Animal of Lancetfish Yoshihide Ito, Marine Science Museum, Social Education Center, Tokai University Shift from Mass Production, Mass Consumption, Mass Disposal Society to Resource Recycling Society Rieko Nonoyama, Palsystem Consumers Co-operative Union Tokyo Efforts to Control Sea Litter from Inland Areas: in the Case of Kyoto Hozu River Sadao Harada, NPO Project Save Hozu River How to Tackle Ocean Pollution Caused by Plastic Litter Hiroshi Kaneko, the general incorporated association Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN) ( 10 December 2016) JIME research committee s involvement in efforts to promote marine litter proposal (1) Events Members of the Japan Institute of Marine Engineering s Research Committee for Marine Litter Disposal System participated in the 4 th Japan-South Korea Coastline Cleanup Festival in Tsushima, organized by the Tsushima City Government with two local volunteer organizations, held at inner coastal areas of Akashima, Mitsushima, Tsushima City on October At the last Festival held on 23 August 2015, members of the Research Committee for Marine Litter Disposal System demonstrated how collected waste could be reduced in size by using waste deep frying oil produced from homes and offices as a heated solvent. They had planned to have local participants join a demonstration about this experiment. However, this demonstration was cancelled due to heavy rain. Instead, Research Committee members brought a polystyrene waste recycling compacter machine to the site of a symposium about floating litter held at a different location. Many of those who witnessed a demonstration with the compactor machine noted that a reduction in the volume of polystyrene waste can spare its secondary transfer, and appreciated energy-saving effects of the initiative and its simple process to get work done. They expressed support for the initiative and called for further research on the effective use of recycled materials. Some participants in the demonstration also expressed a view that the Research Committee should introduce this initiative to local governments and municipalities facing the issue of how to deal with drifting polystyrene foam reaching ashore as a way to dispose of polystyrene waste with the effective use of waste oil. The Tsushima City Board of Education decided to include a study to compact foamed polystyrene in curriculums for local elementary and junior high school students as part of local community education for sustainable development. Mr Yamaguhci and Mr Kawahara (the National Institute of Technology, Oshima College), both members of the Research Committee, presented relevant materials to the Board. Moreover, Research Committee members participated in a contest organized by an electrical equipment manufacturer. Their presentation about the development of the polystyrene waste recycling compacter machine, which uses an electric immersion heater as well as waste deep frying oil, and coastal cleanup activities with the utilization of the device was well received. (2) Exchanges with related organizations Research on ways to recover and recycle polystyrene foam widely used as heat insulating or construction materials helps develop a high value-added recycling method for polystyrene reaching ashore. From this point of view, the Research Committee for Marine Litter Disposal System approached the Japan Expanded Polystyrene Association (JEPSA), which consists of polymer manufacturers and foam processors, to offer to work together with the Research Committee. Thanks to the JEPSA, the Research Committee learned 5

6 extensively about recycling methods and technologies. According to the JEPSA, while about 95 percent of general-purpose polystyrene foam is recycled, polystyrene pieces found on Japanese shores after floating in the sea has not been considered recycling, let alone ways to collect them. The JEPSA told the Research Committee that the method to reduce polystyrene foam in size by using waste deep-frying oil as a heated solvent has a great potential for application in more extensive recycling, since it has already succeeded in eliminating salt, which usually poses a challenge when it comes to recycling polystyrene foam. (3) Research activities Regarding polystyrene foam compacted and desalted with the recycling machine after being collected from shores, the Research Committee for Marine Litter Disposal System studied ways to utilize it as a high quality local energy source (combustion improver, for example) by processing them in a way that would not burden the environment. The Research Committee developed a computer-based monitoring system of power generation and storage at a renewable energy (wind power) device required for the initiative to reduce polystyrene foam in size. The system will improve the efficiency of on-site work for the initiative by remotely monitoring electricity levels at the device. Research Committee members confirmed the effectiveness of the system through a land-based demonstration trial. Work with the polystyrene waste recycling compacter machine are expected to be carried out at where floating polystyrene foam reach shores. These locations may be difficult to access from land or electricity infrastructure may not be developed. In consideration of this, the Research Committee examined the possibility of building a self-sustaining processing device that is comprised of a vertical axis type wind power generator and the recycling compacter machine. This wind power generator would consist of a towed small floating object converted from a disabled fishing boat, with a flexible guide vane that can prevent overspeed caused by gusts of wind. The Research Committee conducted a basic test using a water tank to check fluctuation of the floating object under high wave conditions and power generation characteristics of the generator. There are mainly two types of plastics that affect the environment: floating polystyrene foam reaching shores, which is currently focused on by the Research Committee, and microplastics. Microplastics are built up inside the body of marine creatures, and create negative effects on the food chain, becoming a serious environmental issue around the globe. While polystyrene foam is a plastic product and relatively large plastic fragments (ordinary plastics), microplastics are small particles and do not have the form of products. However, there is another type of plastics called milliplastics, which are categorized between ordinary plastics and microplastics based on their size. The Research Committee will pay attention to these plastics found in coasts and in gaps between rocks and tetrapods. The Research Committee will study the impact of milliplastics on the environment, including in coastal areas, and ecosystems. It will continue to promote measures to protect the environment from plastic pollution. 6

7 Fig Floating milliplastics Fig Gaps of rocks filled with milliplastics References In general, reference sources are included in the text. However, here are some main sources the author consulted. 1) Marine Litter Issue Platform Japan website: 2) General incorporated association Japan Environmental Action Network website: 3) Sasagawa Peace Foundation Ocean Policy Research Institute: White Paper on the Oceans and Ocean Policy 2017 (Written by Yoshinori Mihara) 7