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UNSW SMaRT Centre researchers have hosted stakeholders to help enhance the understanding of the impacts of microplastics from synthetic grasses.
As part of research through SMaRT's work with and host of the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub, representatives from Ku-ring-gai Council and the Australian Microplastic Assessment Project (AUSMAP) toured SMaRT's labs and to learn more about the project on synthetic grass.
SMaRT researchers are investigating how the degradation of synthetic grass may contribute to microplastic pollution in the environment.
This includes investigating the degradation of grass blades from fields of different ages and usage frequencies.
The visit provided an opportunity to share research progress, discuss local government perspectives and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders working on practical solutions.
Insights from these discussions will help guide future pilot studies and refine analytical approaches for identifying degradation mechanisms of synthetic grass and related materials.
This project enhances scientific understanding of the sources and pathways of microplastics, contributing to the evidence on their potential environmental impacts.
This comes after the SMaRT researchers had published a study revealing the shocking extent of microplastics pollution in Australia.
The study - published in the prestige Elsevier journal Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering - conducts a detailed review of the existing Australian research about microplastics in sediments, indoor air, road dust, fresh water, marine water, and living organisms.
Supported with funding from the Australian Government under the National Environmental Science Program's Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub, headed by SMaRT and Prof Veena, the study found:
- Microplastic pollution is an emerging environmental contaminant across the globe, with estimates that around three million tonnes of microplastics enter the Earth's environment each year which will take 50–600 years to completely degrade.
- Primary microplastics are synthetically manufactured to produce pharmaceuticals, personal care items, plastic goods and textiles. Secondary microplastics are generated due to the breakdown of plastic debris such as packaging, bags, and bottles.
- Recent studies showed that plastic recycling industries are one of the major sources of microplastic pollution – emitting around 14–5800 kg/year of microplastics into the environment.
- The majority of microplastics enter aquatic ecosystems through landfill leaching, direct dumping by humans, and runoff from transportation and wastewater treatment plants.
The study provides a broad and detailed overview of the issue of microplastic pollution in Australia. It examines the sources, distribution, entry pathways, and fates of microplastics, as well as their effects on living organisms (including humans) and the environment. Additionally, it explores various strategies and policies adopted by other nations to mitigate microplastic pollution.
It found:
"Microplastics pose significant threats to human health, biodiversity, and ecosystems. While several initiatives have been introduced across Australia to address plastic waste—such as the banning of plastic bags by Coles and Woolworths, restrictions on single-use plastics, the Victorian container deposit scheme, and the longstanding South Australian container deposit scheme—specific legislation targeting microplastics remains absent on a national scale.
"More comprehensive studies, particularly quantitative research, are needed to better understand the extent of microplastic generation from various sources, their impacts on Australia's environment and human health, and to develop tailored solutions. Such efforts should address aquatic pollution, which significantly affects cities near oceans and other water bodies.
"To reduce microplastic pollution, the Australian government could consider implementing the following legislative measures and policies:
- It is needed to define the micro/nano plastics clearly – and consider whether it includes more polymeric items like tyres etc. which are not traditionally thought of as plastic but are a large source for pollution and do contain plastic.
- Government legislation towards the industries should focus on redesign their goods, production process and machinery to use a minimal amount of plastic. Production methods should be also ensured that plastic products have minimal degradation during their use and at the end of the product life less volume of plastic waste ends up in the environment.
- Microbeads that are used in products such as personal care, cosmetics, detergents, and other cleaning goods should be replaced with other effective and safer materials.
- The utilisation of soft plastics products should be prohibited completely in all restaurants and home kitchens.
- Australia needs a specific clause addressing ‘greenwashing’ – it is a particular issue in this space. For example, the short-term recycling solutions, such as, using plastic waste in the road-based construction is a popular solution for utilising the problematic plastic waste. However, it can lead to long term microplastic problems.
- Requires the prevention and mitigation of adverse impacts from the production or import of the primary plastic products, feedstocks and precursors. The government should monitor how much primary plastics are produced and supplied in different form against the demand of the plastics so that it would not exit the national reduction targets. Any limit on production should include both natural and synthetic sources since plastic made from a natural feedstock (such as bio-based feedstock) can have a significant environmental impact. Recent studies indicates that, when the bio-based plastics are exposed to environment, it also creates significant amount of microplastics which are sometimes not fully degradable.
- Clear indication is needed for the chemicals of concern which generates microplastics, such as additives in the plastics. As a starting point, criteria for deciding what chemicals should be eliminated, minimized and regulated and identify those chemicals and polymers that are produced at a high volume and generates microplastics, and have significant adverse impacts on the environment or human health:
- As part of this, independent risk assessment is needed.
- A product-specific approach is required-as some polymers and additives might not be problematic in some products but are in other kinds of products. For examples, plastics storage containers for food handling and preparation should be examined critically.
- Micro/nano plastics are added in many products, such as cosmetics and drug delivery, must be identified and managed critically. May be in all cases, it is not possible to avoid but need to be restricted and, where appropriate, not allowed.
- Extended product responsibility (EPR)s needs to be designed judiciously, such as government in Australia must establish and operate an EPR systems that will promote the decentralised recycling facilities to incentivize recyclability in the remote and regional places. Legislation is needed to enhance the accountability for the EPR.
- Moreover, collective efforts of all stakeholders with greater focus by the scientific community should be emphasized. The government should also provide more funding exclusively for microplastics research and arranging training, workshop for academic, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to mitigate the looming threats of microplastics pollution.