14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers with the Royal Holloway, University of London, and the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom have recently combed the upper Thames Estuary, and have made some very startling discoveries.
Thus, in just three months’ time, the scientists fished out over 8,000 pieces of plastic that had taken up residence in the river bed in said area in the course of the years. This led them to believe that there is more to the River Thames than meets the eye.
As they explain in a paper published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, evidence indicates that said river is home to a torrent of rubbish that flows through London and all the way into the North Sea.
According to Click Green, the nearly 8,000 bits and pieces of plastic debris that the researchers collected during their investigation were pulled out of the river bed with the help of nets specially designed to make it easier for fishermen to catch Chine mitten crabs.
About 20% of this rubbish comprised sanitary products. Cigarette packaging, food wrappers and cups were also a common sight, the same source tells us.
Since the rubbish was found underwater and not on the surface of the River Thames, the scientists have reasons to believe that plastic debris in this part of the United Kingdom is a greater threat to aquatic wildlife than previously believed.
“The unusual aspect of the study is that these nets are originally designed to trap fish and crabs moving along the river bed, so we can see that the majority of this litter is hidden below the surface,” explains study co-author Dr. Dave Morritt.
“This underwater litter must be taken into account when predicting the amount of pollution entering our rivers and seas, not just those items that we can see at the surface and washed up on shore,” the specialist goes on to argue.
Researchers warn that both fairly large and relatively small pieces of plastic debris constitute a threat to aquatic wildlife. Thus, the large ones can trap animals, whereas the latter can be eaten by fish and other creatures. When digested, these plastic bits can release harmful chemical compounds, and therefore compromise the local food chain.
“The potential impacts this could have for wildlife are far reaching: not only are the species that live in and around the river affected, but also those in seas that rivers feed into,” says Dr. Dave Morritt. “Plastic can have a damaging impact on underwater life,” adds Dr. Paul Clark.