Microplastics Mission - a stark result: an alarming concentration of small microplastics in both number and mass

A unique compilation of scientific articles, published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, highlights the major findings of the Microplastics Mission (2019), which focused on studying the sources and flows of plastic pollution in nine European rivers.
The Prince Albert II of Monaco was one of the partners in this mission led by the Tara Ocean Foundation.

In 2015, faced with the growing plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea, the Tara Ocean Foundation joined forces with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to launch the Beyond Plastic Med (BeMed) initiative.
The search for solutions lies at the heart of the initiative: to reduce plastic pollution at its source, before it reaches the sea. In this context, the Microplastics Mission proved essential for understanding the stakes for the Mediterranean: making the invisible visible to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers, identifying the problem to envision solutions.

A stark result: an alarming concentration of small microplastics in both number and mass.
The number and mass of small microplastics — invisible to the naked eye — were found to be up to 1,000 times greater than that of larger microplastics in the nine rivers studied.

This alarming result confirms the urgent need to act upstream. This unrecoverable mass spreads insidiously from land to sea. These findings must resonate with policymakers. It is our collective responsibility to prevent this pollution from growing exponentially.

Photo : ©Credit-N.Pansiot-TaraExpeditions