ʻOi aku ka kiʻekiʻe o ka hoʻohaumia ʻana i ka plastik ma ka moana ʻAkelanika ma mua o ka manaʻo mua

lula ea ka popilikia He mea hooweliweli nui ia i na kaiaola o ka honua holookoa ma ka moana e like me ka hapa nui o na Ka lula ea Ke hoʻohana ʻia a hoʻolei ʻia i nā kahawai a me nā moana. ʻO ia ke kuleana o ka ʻokoʻa ʻole o nā kaiaola kai e pōʻino ai ke ola moana¹ a hopena i ke ola kanaka². ʻO ka mea e hopohopo nui ai, ʻo nā microplastics moana (10-1000uM) e komo ana i ke kai mai nā kumu like ʻole e like me ka ʻānai ʻana o nā pae ʻāina, ka lawe ʻana mai nā kahakai a me uka, ka lawaiʻa, ka hoʻouna ʻana a me ka hoʻolei pono ʻana i ke kai.

Wahi a kahi noiʻi hou³, aia kahi kuhi hui ma waena o 11-21 miliona tonnes o nā ʻano nui ʻekolu o ka littered. Ka lula ea Ke (polyethylene, polypropylene, a me polystyrene) o 32–651 µm ka nui-papa i hookiia ma ka 200 m luna o ka Moana Akelanika e unuhi ana i 200 miliona tona ina oe e noonoo i ka hohonu o 3000m o ka Moana Akelanika.

ʻIke ʻia, ʻo kēia ʻokoʻa ma muli o ka ʻike ʻole ʻana o ka noiʻi i hana mua ʻia ʻaʻole i hoʻokomo ʻia ka nui o nā ʻāpana microplastic 'ʻike ʻole' ma lalo o ka ʻili o ka moana. ʻO ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, ke pāʻani nei nā kaʻina hana hoʻoheheʻe e lawe ana i nā microplastics i nā ʻauwaha hadal (kahi hohonu loa o ka moana). Loaʻa nā hōʻike no ke kiʻekiʻe kiʻekiʻe o ka waikumile ma nā wahi hohonu loa i ʻike ʻia ma ka Honua, nā pāpū abyssal a me nā ʻauwaha hadal aia ma ka Moana Pākīpika (4900 m–10,890 m)^5.  

ʻO ka noiʻi o kēia manawa ³ ʻo ia ka mua o kāna ʻano i hana ʻia ma waena o ka Atlantika holoʻokoʻa, mai UK a i nā Falklands. Ua loiloi kēia i ka ka popilikia mai ka polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) a me ka polystyrene (PS) pahu ma 12 mau wahi ma kahi 10,000 km ʻĀkau-South transect o ka Moana ʻAkelanika. Ua hōʻike ʻia ka haʻawina ʻo ka mea kiʻekiʻe kiʻekiʻe e pili ana i ka nui o ka nui o ka PE a ukali ʻia e PP a me PS. Ua like kēia me ka haku mele polymer o ea ʻōpala i hana ʻia ma ka honua holoʻokoʻa ⁴ a hoʻopaʻa ʻia i ka moana ʻilikai a i ke kai.  

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E hoʻomaopopo ': 

1. GESAMP, 2016. Nā Kumu, Ka hopena a me nā hopena o nā Microplastics i loko o ke Kai Kai (Mahele 2). Ka Hui Maritime International. Loaʻa ma ka pūnaewele ma http://www.gesamp.org/site/assets/files/1275/sources-fate-and-effects-of-microplastics-in-the-marine-environment-part-2-of-a-global-assessment-en.pdf  

2. Wright SL a me Kelly FJ. lula ea a me ke olakino kanaka: he pilikia micro? Kaiapuni. ʻO Sci. ʻenehana.51, 6634–6647 (2017). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b00423 

3. Pabortsava K, Lampitt RS. ʻO nā kiʻekiʻe kiʻekiʻe o ka plastic i hūnā ʻia ma lalo o ka ʻili o ka Moana ʻAkelanika. Hoʻopuka ʻia: 18 ʻAukake 2020. Nat Commun 11, 4073 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17932-9  

4. Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. R. & Law, K. L. Hana, hoʻohana, a me ka hopena o nā plastic a pau i hana ʻia. ʻO Sci. ʻO Adv.3, e1700782 (2017). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782 

5. Penga G., Bellerby R., et al 2019. Ka ʻōpala hope loa o ka moana: ʻO nā ʻauwaha ʻo Hadal ma ke ʻano he waihona nui no ka pollution plastic. ʻImi Wai. Volume 168, 1 Ianuali 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115121  

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