Dirty70 ASBL general presentation

DIRTY70 FOR HEALTHY WATER IN RIVERS AND OCEANS
More than 70% of our planet is
water, seas and oceans,
they dramatically are DIRTY

“
Marine litter are persistent solids that are manufactured or
processed, and then discarded, disposed of, abandoned or lost in
the marine and coastal environment.
— Regional Seas Program of the United Nations Environment Program, 2005, "Marine Litter" — An analytical overview

“
Plastic is wonderful because it’s durable.
Plastic is terrible because it’s durable.
— United Nations — 21st Century: Episode #126
Adaptation from the original documentary “A Plastic Ocean” by the Plastic Oceans Foundation
“

WHO // OUR MISSION

WHO // OUR MISSION
“Citizen Science means that scientist work
together with the public on research
projects to collect or analyse data.”
ETHEL JEAN-FRANÇOIS
SAIDA VINCENT

WHO // OUR MISSION
The scientific world does not have enough qualified and
standardized data to fully understand how plastic waste
interacts with the natural environment and our health.
THE STATE OF ART

WHO // OUR MISSION
DIRTY70 is a non-profit organization based in Belgium,
founded on the initiative of citizens and based on the concept
of citizen science.
Our mission is to develop environmental projects — to help
the scientific world — through a sequential collection of
qualified data and samples on the ground, locally and
internationally.
OUR PROPOSAL

WHY // THE FACTS

“A plastic material is a mixture containing a base material (a polymer) that can be
molded and shaped, usually under heat and pressure, to lead to a semi-finished
product or object.
The word "plastic" derives from the Latin plasticus, itself derived from the ancient
Greek πλαστικός (plastikós, "relating to modeling"), derived from the verb
πλάσσειν (plássein, "to mold, form") which also derives the word plasma.
— Wikipedia

“
Every minute, the equivalent of one full garbage truck of plastic
trash is dumped in the sea.
That is 1440 trucks per 24 hours and 8 BILLION kilos per year.
— Plastic Soup Foundation

WHY // THE FACTS
WHAT SOLUTIONS? // THE CHALLENGE OF RECYCLING

WHY // THE CHALLENGE OF RECYCLING
● Plastics are made from fossil fuels.
● Dating back a little over a century (1907, Leo Baekeland).
● Widely used since the WWII.
● Found today in everything.
● Eliminated, this plastic waste breaks down into smaller fragments that
persist for centuries.
● In the laboratory, the degradation time is estimated:
○ from 1 to 5 years for nylon thread,
○ from 1 to 20 years for thin plastic packaging,
○ up to 450 years for plastic bottles,
○ more for other materials (polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, etc.)

“
Globally, only 18% of plastic is recycled,
against almost zero in 1980.
— Jambeck, J.R. et Al, "Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean", University of Georgia, Feb. 2015

Ease of recycling by type of plastic material :
1-2 EASY // 4-5 MANAGEABLE // 6 DIFFICULT // 3-7 VERY DIFFICULT

“
There is a lot that the industry can do to help solve the problem.
The real solution is to prevent the plastic from entering the ocean
in the first place, and then rethink our overall approach to this
material.
— Ph.D. Richard Thompson, Plymouth University, U.K.

WHY // THE FACTS
I. THE "PLASTIC CONTINENTS"

“
The amount of plastic entering the ocean from waste generated on land is unknown.
Less than 1% of the plastic in the ocean is on the surface, and over 99% are below the
surface of the water.
Concentration of plastic microparticles invisible to the naked eye would have tripled
in surface waters since the 1970s.
— Jambeck, J.R. et Al, "Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean", University of Georgia, Feb. 2015

WHY // THE "PLASTIC CONTINENTS"
● Marine currents of planetary scale transport the waste towards the calm and central
zones of the five large oceanic basins, known as "the 5 gyres".
● Plastics concentrate and accumulate on huge surfaces (examples: the "Great Pacific
Garbage Patch" and in the north of the Atlantic Ocean, estimated at six times France).
● The "Plastic Continents" are known as the "Seventh Continent" (or "Eighth Continent").
● This name comes from the extent of these continent-sized areas (not that we can walk
on them).
● The vast majority (80%) of plastics comes from land.

WHY // THE "PLASTIC CONTINENTS"

“
In fact, the 7th continent would look more like to a plastic soup.
The impact of this pollution on the balance of marine ecosystems is
not yet fully assessed.
— Marie-France Bernard - Expédition 7e Continent

WHY // THE FACTS
II. THE VISIBLE // MICROPLASTICS

WHY // MICROPLASTICS
1
Primary microplastics
● Microbeads in cosmetics
● Plastic pellets
● Size less than 5 mm
THESE 99% ARE CLASSIFIED IN TWO CATEGORIES OF MICROPLASTICS
2
Secondary microplastics
Come from larger plastic objects that ultraviolet
rays and erosion break down into smaller pieces.

The degradation takes place :
➔ under the mechanical action (erosion), the plastic
breaks down (stable and durable plastic polymers),
➔ under the chemical action (or enzymatic
depolymerization), the plastics are decomposed and
destroyed,
➔ under the action of solar radiation, they gradually break
up into smaller and smaller pieces.

“
The accumulation of plastic in
plankton, eaten by fish that are in turn
consumed by humans, leads to plastic
contamination, not only of seas, oceans
and marine species, but also of our
bodies.

WHY // THE FACTS
III. THE INVISIBLE // NANOPLASTICS

WHY // NANOPLASTICS

“Plastic products are an integral part of our daily diet. We generally assume that the
bottle of water containing pure spring water, the microwave-resistant plastic bowl
in which we prepare our meals, or the polystyrene cup containing a hot drink protects
our food and drinks.
Rather than being a completely inert barrier, these plastics break down and release
chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting plasticizers such as BPA or phthalates,
flame retardants and even toxic heavy metals that are all absorbed into our diet.
— Scott Belcher, Ph.D., Research Professor, North Carolina State University Spokesman, The Endocrine Society

WHY // THE FACTS
IV. CONTAMINATION // THE CONDITIONS VS. THE THREATS

“
These pieces of plastic act like a blotter and the chemical
contaminants that are already present in the water will settle on
this plastic, so it increases the contamination.
— Cristina Barreau — Surfrider Foundation

WHY // CONTAMINATION
1. The plastic contains toxic additives, which increase their durability (for example: nonylphenol,
an endocrine disruptor that can cause breast cancer or endometriosis).
2. Microplastics also absorb pollutants from the ocean (degassing of fuel tanks, oil leaks from
shipping traffic, industrial activities, etc.). Some are carcinogenic and highly toxic such as PCBs
(polychlorinated biphenyls, widely used in electrical appliances until the 1970s), and PBDEs
(polybrominated diphenyl ethers, flame retardants, affecting thyroid function).

“
Plastics in the oceans fulfill all three conditions to constitute a
threat on a planetary scale while also satisfying the first condition.
— Annika Jahnke et al, Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, DE-04107 Leipzig, Germany —
“Reducing Uncertainty and Confronting Ignorance about the Possible Impacts of Weathering Plastic in the Marine Environment”, 2017

THE THREATSTHE CONDITIONS
A set of three conditions must be met
simultaneously for chemical pollution to pose a
real threat on a global scale:
WHY // CONTAMINATION
1. Pollution must have a disruptive effect on a
vital process of the Earth system.
2. The disruptive effect must be totally unknown
before it appears on a planetary scale.
3. The disruptive effect must be little reversible.
Erosion fragmentation of plastic waste already
meets two of the three conditions:
➔ Disruptive effect of plastic waste on a vital
process of the Earth system?
✓ Exposure of oceans to plastic waste
worldwide known and occurred in 2018.
✓ This exposure is not easily reversible.

“
Impacts — on the ecosystem — currently unknown can be
discovered by continuous monitoring of plastics in the oceans and
specific scientific research, in order to study the potential effects of
the degradation of plastic waste by erosion.
— Annika Jahnke et al. - “Reducing Uncertainty and Confronting Ignorance about
the Possible Impacts of Weathering Plastic in the Marine Environment”, 2017

WHAT // OUR OBJECTIVES

On September 25, 2015, United Nations countries adopted a
set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure
prosperity for all as part of a sustainable development agenda:
ENSURING ALL ACCESS
TO WATER AND
SANITATION
ESTABLISH
SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION AND
PRODUCTION MODES
SUSTAINING AND
SUSTAINABLY OCEANS,
SEAS AND MARINE
RESOURCES
+ = 18
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

● Make an inventory of the contamination of the water following the interaction, in the
environment, with the plastic material — at macro, micro and nano scales.
● Understand how different types of plastics absorb pollutants and analyze their
possible reuse in a circular economy.
● Study how plastic waste is degraded according to its location (salinity, UV impact,
weather conditions, currents, nature of land, etc.) and their impact on living species.
● Identify and quantify the concentration of plastic waste in the marine environment.

HOW // THE
METHODOLOGY

SEAS & OCEANS
Currently, there is no standardized method
for identifying inland plastic pollution waste,
including pollution in rivers.
HOW // THE METHODOLOGY
In 2010, the OSPAR Commission (OSLO-PARIS)
developed a guideline for the monitoring of
sampling units as a tool for collecting marine
litter data according to a standardized
methodology.
RIVERS
➔ Everything is to be done.

WHEN // OUR PROJECTS

WHEN // OUR PROJECTS
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 20272019
PLASTIC
RIVER
PLASTIC
ATLANTIC
PLASTIC
TOXICITY
PLASTIC
PEOPLE

PLASTIC RIVER
DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOCOL

PLASTIC RIVER // THE RESULTS
✓ Development of a protocol scientifically elaborated, easily reproducible and precise.
✓ Obtaining results at minimized and controlled value differences.
✓ Reliable results in the context of studies conducted on the problem of nanoplastic
contamination.
✓ Quantification of plastic nanoparticles in the water taken from the river and at the end
of the treatment stations.

PLASTIC RIVER // OUR PARTNERS
SIAM (Synthesis, Irradiation & Analysis of Materials)
INTERCOMMUNALE NAMUROISE DE SERVICES PUBLICS

PLASTIC ATLANTIC
VALIDATION OF A PROTOCOL & SURVEY
MICRO & NANO PLASTIC CONTAMINATION

PLASTIC ATLANTIC // THE RESULTS
✓ Quantification of plastic nanoparticles in river water along the Atlantic coast, from
northern Denmark to southern Spain.
✓ Validation of a standardized protocol to define the different sizes of plastic particles
present in water at the nanoscale.
✓ Definition of the physico-chemical properties of plastic particles present in water at the
nanoscale to determine the different types of existing pollutants.
✓ Development of a sensor capable of detecting the presence of plastic nanoparticles in
water.

PLASTIC ATLANTIC // OUR PARTNERS

PLASTIC TOXICITY
PLASTIC PEOPLE
TO BE CONTINUED...

THANK YOU //
OUR SPONSORS

THANK YOU // OUR SPONSORS

Thank you.
More info on www.dirty70.org

Dirty70 ASBL general presentation

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