Notes: tv programe report mid 2017.                                                                                       

Plastic production in 1950,1.50 m metric tons - presently 300 m metric tons - 1% all plastic is in the ocean either washed or blown there - 236,000 m tons is on the surface - presently there are stable amounts on the surface - main types being polyethylene & polypropylene - it takes approx.10 years to reach center of one of 5 gyres globaly - larger pieces breakdown into 5 mm micro pieces & smaller like 20 microns size - (human hair average 100 microns dia.) - microplastics travel in columns to bottom of ocean - as all marine creatures including sea birds,whales,whale sharks,manta rays,corals etc feed on zooplankton they will also injest these microplastics along with much larger plastic items like cigarette lighters,30 meters of fishing rope or plastic car parts!

The importance of BEACHCOMBING plastics from shorelines will help miniumize the photo-degreation into microplastics. 

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