Questions to: Dr. Bettina Liebmann, Environment Agency Austria
#ItsInOurHands talks to the expert, Dr. Bettina Liebmann, from the Environment Agency Austria, about the effects of environmental pollution through plastic and about political countermeasures.
What impact does the sea of plastic have on the environment, on the one hand in Austria, and on the other hand in the world’s oceans?
Dr. Liebmann: Some of the properties that make plastic a universally applicable and valuable material, become a problem when they are introduced to the environment, for example their longevity. Larger plastic parts decompose due to environmental influences into smaller and smaller parts and can then spread in water, soil and air. In addition, the additives used in plastics, such as softeners and flame-retardant agents, may also become a problem. Likewise, the toxic substances already in the environment may attach to the microplastics and fortify these. The world’s oceans are particularly burdened by plastic waste. Marine animals get caught up in the plastic or mistake it for food. The terrestrial ecosystems are not spared either, for example the effects on the marine soil and ground-dwelling organisms are the focus of current research.
Can microplastic develop from plastic waste, disposed of in dumps, in the course of time and then get back into the environment via the groundwater?
Dr. Liebmann: In Austria it is forbidden to dump plastics. EU-wide, however, around 25% of plastic waste is disposed of. Naturally it is then conceivable that microplastic particles get into the environment via the seepage water from the dump if the dump has no or only a faulty base sealing. Compared with other paths of entry, seepage water does, however, play a lesser role. The potential microplastic emissions from a dump depend on the condition and the age of the dump. Basically, plastic waste should be recycled in order to re-generate raw materials and energy, before being dumped.
What effect does microplastic have on animals?
Dr. Liebmann: The pollution with and accumulation of microplastic in the environment leads to a change in their habitats. This pollution can have different effects depending on the type of animal. Most of the research has been conducted on aquatic organisms, above all on fish, crustaceans and mussels. Until now, only very few studies have concentrated on terrestrial organisms. Microplastic, respectively its additives, such as softeners and dyestuffs, can influence mobility and reproduction and cause inflammations and growth retardation. The effects depend on the type, size and amount of the particles absorbed.
How can microplastic, which gets into the human body via the food chain, endanger our health?
Dr. Liebmann: We do not yet know very much about the absorption of microplastics via the food chain and the effects on the human body. It is assumed that most of the microplastic particles consumed orally are discharged again. In a pilot study, which we conducted at the Environment Agency Austria in association with the MedUni Vienna, we were able – for the first time worldwide - to determine microplastic in the stool of all of the eight international participants in the study. Based on the current state of scientific research, however, we assume that microplastic does not represent an acute health risk for humans. Research is, however, still required in this field.
For consumers, what would an easily understandable labelling of products containing plastic or microplastic look like in your opinion?
Dr. Liebmann: The label should be directly on the product and it should be placed in a written and optical form that allows the consumers to identify the plastic quickly and clearly.
What possibilities are currently being considered in the political discussion so that industry and product manufacturers can, wherever possible, launch more products on the market without any hidden plastic?
Dr. Liebmann: Within the framework of the EU Plastic Strategy, the European Chemical Agency has elaborated a restriction proposal for microplastics which are deliberately added to products. This suggestion is currently being discussed at EU level. Compulsory labelling is to be introduced for products which continue to contain microplastic. At national level, efforts are being undertaken to prohibit microplastic in cosmetics and cleaning agents.
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