Spain’s northern coast is facing a detrimental situation as numerous small plastic pellets have been scattered in the water and on the beaches. This occurred when containers carrying these pellets accidentally fell off a shipping boat near Portugal.
An environmental disaster occurred in December when containers holding plastic pellets were lost at sea near northern Portugal. One of the containers is estimated to have contained over 57,000 pounds of these pellets, also known as “nurdles,” which are used in the production of plastic bottles. The incident involved the Toconao ship, chartered by Maersk shipping company.
Following the spill, individuals have been observing a large quantity of plastic pellets being deposited on the beaches of Spain’s north west coast, resulting in immediate clean up efforts and an inquiry by local authorities. The plastic pellets can measure in widths of less than 5 millimeters, making them technically microplastics.
Though authorities have said the pellets are non-toxic, they still poise a danger to wildlife and the environment and have potentially harmful impacts on the human body because they contain an alphabet soup of chemicals.
In December, plastic pellets were lost in the ocean, leading to a chain of events where small plastic particles in the water are consumed by fish and eventually make their way onto people’s plates.
Reference- BBC, National Geographic, Green Peace, AP News, NOAA website