LONG BEACH Calif. - Inland polluters, beware. A local research company has just received funds to study plastic pollutants that wash down local rivers and storm drains into the ocean. For boaters and cities tired of being targeted by environmental activists as polluters, the study might also determine from where pollutants are really coming.
The State Water Resources Control Board announced Oct. 29 that it awarded Algalita Marine Research Foundation a $482,000 grant for its continued research of microscopic plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean. The local foundation, run by Capt. Charles Moore, will also study how trash, plastics, and minute debris hurt the beneficial uses of the Los Angeles River, San Gabriel River watersheds and other waterways in California’s urban areas, a WRCB statement said.
Land-based sources of plastic and trash, especially in urban areas of Southern California, are the most significant source of marine debris in coastal waters, Moore said. Yet, so far, studies of trash in these waterways have focused only on large debris.
Moore and his foundation, which launched in 1994, are starting to gain national recognition for its studies of small plastic particles in the ocean. Just this month, a science writer published a story about Moore and the foundation. Further, his studies have attracted the attention and support of university professors and scientists. In the beginning, Moore spent a small fortune of his own money researching what he determined was a growing, but overlooked, problem.
In 1999, he and an all-volunteer crew undertook a three-month journey to the middle of the Pacific Ocean aboard his custom-built catamaran Alguita. They returned with startling news about ocean pollution. Not only were there endless amounts of large trash, but also plastic that disintegrated into small pieces and remained on the surface.
Sea animals would consume the plastic with food, or as food, and the growth of plankton might be stilted, he determined. Following subsequent trips, Moore’s research has determined that the small plastic particles are not just floating on the surface, but are also up to 100 feet below the surface.
Moore and another volunteer crew returned form its latest Pacific voyage and the Hawaiian Islands on Oct. 22. During part of the trip, the crew examined debris washed onto the beaches of the islands known for their pristine beauty. According to Moore, a high percentage of sand on our beaches is actually plastic. However, Moore does not know of a solution to clean the beaches. He can only hope to determine and eliminate its source, he said. “Non-point source pollution is actually million-point source pollution,” he said.
Through its research, the foundation will run analyses on many types of trash it collects from inland waterways. Much of that work will take place at the Sea Lab in Redondo Beach, Calif. The foundation has become more sophisticated in research methods last decade as well, he said.
During the research period, the foundation will work closely with Shelly Moore, who co-authored a paper on the composite and distribution of pollutants on Orange County beaches. The foundation also works closely with the state Coastal Commission’s Clean Boating program.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, plastic pellets are the raw materials that are melted and molded to create plastic products. During the EPA’s Harbor Studies Program, these pellets were found in 94 percent of all debris collected, the WRCB statement said.
Moore’s work will study sources of plastic and debris found in rivers in urban areas across the state. That study will lead to establishing baselines for how much of inland pollutants end up on beaches and in adjacent coastal waters. The study may also determine if current urban runoff plans are adequate.
Another goal is to make a presentation of foundation findings at the next World Ocean Conference. The last conference was this summer in Santa Barbara, Calif. The next might be at the Cabrillo Aquarium in San Pedro, Calif., in 2004 or 2005. The aquarium is undergoing an extensive remodeling project. When complete, the facility will have a permanent exhibit of Moore’s research. It will also name its library after Moore’s mother, a major contributor to both organizations.
The funding for Moore’s project comes from voter-approved Proposition 13 that passed in 2000. The bond authorized $2 billion in funding for clean waters. So far, Proposition 13 administrators have issued more than $695 million dollars for water-quality projects.
The state’s long-term goal encourages public-policy makers, local government, industry, and the public to reduce plastic trash and strategies that go beyond catch basins and industrial housekeeping practices, but to prevent pollution before it happens, a statement said.
source: http://www.thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=8434 11dec02
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