Known as “Mermaid tears” or industrial plastic granules (IPG), tiny toxic plastic pellets (nurdle) is another source of marine plastic litter. In contrast to single use plastic, these little plastic beads are extremely small in size and make ocean clean-up activities challenging.
Though being one of the sources of marine pollution, the devastating impact of nurdles on marine life and humans is often overlooked. Once in ocean, nurdles may also enter the food chain through the fish and seafood we eat, and even end up in human blood (first detected in 2022).
Plastic Soup Foundation reports that around 230 000 tons of it ends up in the ocean, whereas given its size, it becomes almost impossible to fully remove, once in environment. If cleaning up activities are practically less effective, prevention should be the key.
What efforts of international society do you find the most appropriate to address this problem?