Publications

Marine litter and climate change: Inextricably connected threats to the world’s oceans
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On the basis of a literature review, this study examines the interactions between climate change and marine litter, and the compounding global risks to biodiversity and society. The paper highlights that at the global scale, principles and approaches of treaties and conventions for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity can assist in understanding the cumulative impacts of marine litter and climate change, thereby improving marine ecosystem resilience. Climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as marine litter reduction, can also be developed and implemented by countries in order to deal with the threats posed by marine litter and climate change. In order to implement effective actions, resilience frameworks that incorporate both climate change and marine litter need to be developed. When climate change is integrated with other local stressors, ecosystem resilience approaches offer a suitable framework for incorporating the consideration of marine litter as a risk and for steering, coordinating, prioritizing research and monitoring, policy, and planning in order to effectively address the combined risks and impacts of climate change and marine litter.

Latest Posts

1
The effects of riverside cities on microplastics in river water: A case study on the Southern Jiangsu Canal, China

The paper studies the microplastic abundances and characteristics in the Southern Jiangsu Canal to reveal the effect of riverside cities on microplastics in river water. The results show that the microplastic abundance in the water body of the South Jiangsu Canal ranges from 3.41 to 19.07 particles L−1, with an average of 9.59 ± 3.95[…]

2
Distribution and weathering characteristics of microplastics in paddy soils following long-term mulching: A field study in Southwest China

This paper reveals the status of microplastic pollution in paddy soil with long-term mulching. The study investigates the distribution and weathering characteristics of filmy microplastics in a mulched paddy field (non-mulched, four years of mulched, and ten years of continuous mulched soil were investigated) in Southwest China. The filmy microplastics accumulated annually in the plough[…]

3
Review of polymer technologies for improving the recycling and upcycling efficiency of plastic waste

The paper reviews advancements in polymer technologies that aim to improve the efficiency of recycling and upcycling plastic waste. Increasing the rate of recycling and upcycling is critical for addressing the issues caused by plastic pollution, and, at the same time, overcoming the technical limitations on the same. The research emphasises the need to develop[…]

4
Nanoplastics are significantly different from microplastics in urban waters

The study analyses the current advancements in the behavioural differences between MPs and NPs in urban waters. Analytical challenges, fate, interactions with surrounding pollutants, and eco-impacts of MPs and NPs are similarly discussed in this paper. It has been highlighted in the study that the characterization and fate studies of NPs are more challenging as[…]

5
Unfolding the science behind policy initiatives targeting plastic pollution

The study investigates scientifically evidence-based policy initiatives for targeting plastic pollution. The issue of plastic pollution is complex and still related to several uncertainties, which implies that policy initiatives must allow for flexibility and ongoing evaluations to adjust to the evolving knowledge generation. It is also important that the scientific community provide the needed research[…]