Filenews 8 June 2023
Up to 4000 microplastics per square meter were detected off the coast of Cyprus, as recorded through the first year of sampling as part of a three-year research project aimed at detecting microplastics on the beaches of Cyprus. The results of the sampling were announced by the AKTI Center for Studies and Research on the occasion of World Ocean Day 2023.
According to an announcement by AKTI, microplastics are plastic particles of 5mm-1μm size, which have already been detected in human blood and mainly in large quantities in children. This is a problem whose dimensions in public health and the ecosystem are constantly revealed.
The AKTI Research Centre conducted for the first time in Cyprus a field survey for the detection of microplastics on our coasts.
According to the President of the Centre for Studies and Research AKTI, Xenia Loizidou, two series of sampling were carried out on 10 remote and tourist beaches of Cyprus during July 2022 and March 2023.
The results reveal the magnitude of the problem, he said, adding that up to 4000 microplastics per square meter of coast were detected both on Cyprus' tourist coasts and on remote ones.
These are pellets, small pieces in various colours and transparent films, he said, adding that on many coasts microplastics reach up to 7% of the weight of the surface sediment of samples and stressing that the problem is serious.
Dr. Loizidou noted that the research will continue for at least the next two years with the support of Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd.
He added that AKTI's goal is to detect the quantities of microplastics on our coasts and highlight this problem so that measures can be taken.
He also noted that field data and the creation of a systematic database are important for "uncovering" the problem. Our message is: all together for clean beaches and plastic-free seas, he concluded.
