Marine Waste—Sources, Fate, Risks, Challenges and Research Needs

Jolanta Dąbrowska, Marcin Sobota, Małgorzata Świąder, Paweł Borowski, Andrzej Moryl, Radosław Stodolak, Ewa Kucharczak, Zofia Zięba and Jan K. Kazak
Additional contact information
Jolanta Dąbrowska: Institute of Building Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland
Marcin Sobota: Institute of Landscape Architecture, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland
Małgorzata Świąder: Institute of Spatial Management, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland
Paweł Borowski: Faculty of Marine Engineering, Maritime University of Szczecin, 71-650 Szczecin, Poland
Andrzej Moryl: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland
Radosław Stodolak: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland
Ewa Kucharczak: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Zofia Zięba: Institute of Building Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland
Jan K. Kazak: Institute of Spatial Management, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: The article presents a comprehensive and cross-cutting review of key marine waste issues, taking into account: sources, fate, risks, transport pathways, threats, legislation, current challenges, and knowledge gaps. The growing amount of both human-created waste in seas and oceans and waste reaching marine ecosystems from land is one of today’s challenges for the global economy and the European Union. It is predicted that if no decisive steps are taken to limit the amount of this type of waste, there may be more plastic waste than fish in the oceans after 2050. The influence of microplastics and nanoplastics on living organisms remains undiagnosed. Within the international and EU law, solutions are being developed to properly manage waste on board ships and to reduce the impact of processes related to the recycling of the vessels on the environment. Currently, over 80% of ships are dismantled in the countries of South Asia, in conditions that threaten the environment and the safety of workers. After World War 2, large quantities of chemical weapons were deposited in the seas. Steel containers with dangerous substances residing in the sea for over 70 years have begun leaking, thus polluting water. For many years, radioactive waste had also been dumped into marine ecosystems, although since 1993 there has been a total ban on such disposal of radionuclides. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marine waste generation has also been presented as a significant factor influencing marine waste generation and management.

Keywords: microplastics; nanoplastics; marine transport; ship recycling; radioactive waste; sustainable waste management; chemical weapon; SARS-CoV-2; MARPOL; marine ecosystems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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