| Date / Time | Wed 27 Nov 2019 15:00–17:00 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Auditorium A, West Hall, American University of Beirut |
| Language | English |
| Jointly sponsored by | JaCMES/ Center for Arts and Humanities, American University of Beirut/ Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) “Development of universal markers of wastewater through comparative study of water pollution in the Middle east, Africa and South America” (Principal Investigator: TAKADA Hideshige, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Project Number: 17H04476) |
Summary of the Lecture：
On global basis, 400 million tons of plastics are produced annually. Some portion escapes from waste-management on land and is discharged into the ocean. Plastics are non-biodegradable and persist in the ocean for a hundred years or more. On the sea surface and beaches, they are exposed to UV radiation and broken down into microplastics. Nowadays, 5 trillion tons of plastics and microplastics are suspended in world ocean. Marine organisms ingest large and microplastics and its frequency has been increasing dramatically. This is a potential threat to food security. Furthermore, plastics contain hazardous chemicals and carry them to marine organisms. In this lecture, I would like to propose a solution that can be implemented starting today.
- Hideshige Takada (Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
- "Marine plastic and microplastic pollution: The reality and solution"
- Chair：Abdul-Rahim Abu-Husayn (American University of Beirut)
