University of Brighton find microplastics in Sussex seafood
A research team from the University of Brighton led by marine biologist Dr. Corina Ciocan has found evidence of tiny shards of fibreglass shed from ageing or discarded boats being taken up by marine organisms, some of which are regularly eaten by humans.
Dr Ciocan's team working at Chichester Harbour found 7,000 microscopic bits of boat fibreglass in just one oyster. These tiny flecks of plastic also contain chemicals known as phthalates which have been associated with health problems including breast cancer and ADHD.
During a recent appearance by Dr Ciocan on the BBC’s The One Show, the show’s producers found old boats on offer around the UK for as little as £1.50, with some even being offered free.
Worse still, likely due to their low value some owners simply dump boats on shore or sink them. A lack of effective registration makes it extremely difficult to identify a particular boat’s owner.
Since being introduced in the 1950s fibreglass boats have spread across the globe. Yet, despite the fact fibreglass is currently unable to be recycled and can last up to a millennium in the environment, there is no procedure in place for their safe disposal at the end of their lifecycle.
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Early findings from Dr Ciocan’s research into the harm caused by discarded fibreglass boats were featured on BBC Countryfile back in 2020.
More optimistically, PhD student Claudine Anne-Marie Annels and others on the University of Brighton team have since developed a new biocomposite material designed to remove the harmful microplastics from the water, which is currently being tested at Chichester Harbour.
The Chichester Harbour Conservancy and The Manor of Bosham, along with local private landowner The Hundred, has also recently contributed funding for PhD research by Natalie Huckle on fibreglass accumulation in coastal habitats, and how to combat it.
Dr Corina Ciocan, Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology in the University of Brighton's School of Applied Sciences, said: “Fibreglass boats have for over 60 years provided affordable and durable vessels for recreational sailors and small-scale fishing communities across the globe.
“As these vessels now reach their end-of-life as seagoing craft, they are creating an emerging crisis as the boats decay and release toxic microfibres into the aquatic environments that are then being taken up by various kinds of marine life.
“The abandonment of these vessels also interferes with maritime traffic and fishing activities, as well as littering and damaging the seabed.”
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