4/1/2015
NY/NJ Baykeeper Launches First Microplastic Research Initiative with NY/NJ Harbor and Releases Plastic-Free Product Guide - Atlantic Highlands Herald
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Monmouth News
NY/NJ Baykeeper Launches First Microplastic Research Initiative with NY/NJ Harbor and Releases Plastic-Free Product
Guide
NY/NJ Baykeeper Launches First Microplastic Research Initiative
with NY/NJ Harbor and Releases Plastic-Free Product Guide
Written by NY/NJ Baykeeper
 Published: 01 April 2015
http://www.ahherald.com/newsbrief/monmouth-news/19706-ny-nj-baykeeper-launches-first-microplastic-research-initiative-with-ny-nj-harbor-and-releases-plasti…
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4/1/2015
NY/NJ Baykeeper Launches First Microplastic Research Initiative with NY/NJ Harbor and Releases Plastic-Free Product Guide - Atlantic Highlands Herald
PHOTO: Manta trawl
net collecting floatables
in the NY Harbor off the
coast of Jersey City, NJ.
KEYPORT, NJ - NY/NJ
Baykeeper along with
partners and
collaborators from
Monmouth University's
Urban Coast Institute,
The Five Gyres
Institute, ClearWater,
and SUNY Fredonia
launched the first
microplastic research
initiative on March 31
within NY/NJ Harbor
Estuary waters.
Using a manta trawl net,
five samples were
collected from the East River, Hudson River off Morris Canal, upper New York Harbor along Jersey City, Red
Hook, Brooklyn, and Newtown Creek. The net is deployed off the vessel and captures floatable debris for 30
minutes. The contents are then transferred from the manta trawl net into sanitized jars and await laboratory
testing and analysis.
"Although microplastics are tiny, they still pollute our waterways and have been found in the stomachs of fish
and wildlife. This research project will help us explain the extent of microplastic pollution within NY-NJ Harbor
Estuary waters, what it means for fish ingesting plastic, and adverse human health effects," said Sandra Meola
of NY/NJ Baykeeper who is managing the organization's plastic reduction campaign. NY/NJ Baykeeper and
partners plan to collect additional samples throughout the spring.
Urban Coast Insitute (UCI) Marine Scientist Jim Nickels said, "UCI was glad to provide assistance on this study
to assess the presence of microplastics in NY Harbor."
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NY/NJ Baykeeper Launches First Microplastic Research Initiative with NY/NJ Harbor and Releases Plastic-Free Product Guide - Atlantic Highlands Herald
PHOTO: NY/NJ Baykeeper crew sifts through the sample and
preserves materials in a sealed container for lab analysis.
Photo courtesy of NY/NJ Baykeeper.
Plastic microbeads are used as exfoliating agents found in
many toothpastes and body scrub products. Microbeads are
too tiny to be filtered by waste water treatment facilities and
travel from the consumer's drain and end up discharged into
waterways. From there, plastic particles act as a sponge for
harmful pollutants. Fish mistake plastic particles for food, thus
entering and contaminating food chains.
To bring consumer awareness to the issue, NY/NJ Baykeeper
has released a plastic free personal care product guide for
consumers to reference. The guide includes brands and
specific products that include natural exfoliants instead of
plastic. Natural exfoliants include sugar, ground nuts, jojoba,
and oatmeal. Polypropylene and polyethylene are the two
ingredients that denote plastic within products. The Plastic
Free Product Guide can be found on NY/NJ Baykeeper's
website here.
Last month, Governor Christie signed a bill into law that would phase-out all nonbiodegradable plastic
microbeads in personal care products. While this is a victory for New Jersey, NY/NJ Baykeeper says there is
still work to be done. New Jersey's microbead phase-out only includes polyethylene and polypropylene plastic
microbeads, excluding bioplastics from the ban. Bioplastics can only disintegrate in high heat temperatures
such as in composting facilities.
Meola said, "Essentially, this phase-out will simply allow the personal care industry to replace one harmful type
of plastic with another that will still not biodegrade in New Jersey waters."
NY/NJ Baykeeper is advocating for an amendment to the bill as well as advocating for stronger language in
New York's microbead phase-out that would apply to all plastic.
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