Perfect solutions to marine debris and microplastics pollution are likely to remain elusive for some time to come, given the high dependence on plastics and the absence of comparable alternatives, Andrew Booth, Chief Scientist and Research Manager, Observation and Ecosystem group at SINTEF Ocean, Norway, has warned.
Dr. Booth, whose research areas cover environmental toxicology, marine pollution, and microplastics and nanoplastics, urged communities to develop localised strategies to tackle the plastics question, as effective and environment-friendly recycling processes could take time. According to him, people themselves are the readily accessible ‘solution’.
‘’We’ve managed to make improvements in certain areas. The big problem with plastic is that we do not have very good alternatives. There’s a reason why we have it everywhere. It’s an amazing material. Plastic itself is not necessarily the problem. The problem is how we use it and how we dispose of it,’‘ he said. Dr. Booth was in Thiruvananthapuram last week to direct a workshop on ‘Marine Debris And Microplastics Pollution: Assessment And Characterisation’ organised by the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala.
