Bio-based materials, often marketed as eco-friendly alternatives and intended to replace traditional plastics might actually pose a greater health risk to some of the planet's most crucial species than plastics themselves. This follows from a study published in the peer-reviewed science journal: Environmental Science & Technology
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Bio-Based Materials May Not Be as Eco-Friendly as Believed
Even though bio-based products are being produced and sold more than ever worldwide, there's still not a lot of research available on how they impact species and ecosystems. Because they are commonly used in textiles for products like clothing and wet wipes these materials can shed microfibres into the environment through everyday wear and tear, laundering, or when sewage sludge is used as fertilizer.
To help fill the gap of knowledge, a study published in Environmental Science and Technology looked into how traditional polyester fibres and two bio-based fibres—viscose (also known as rayon) and lyocell—affect earthworms, a species that is essential for maintaining healthy soils worldwide.
The findings were surprising. At high concentrations, about 30% of earthworms died after 72 hours of exposure to polyester fibres. But the death rates were even higher for the bio-based fibres: up to 60% for lyocell and 80% for viscose.
In another experiment using amounts similar to what you'd actually find in the environment, earthworms in soil with viscose fibres reproduced less and those exposed to lyocell fibres didn't grow as much and burrowed more than usual.
Winnie Courtene-Jones at Bangor University, one of the researchers stated: “Over 320,000 tonnes of bio-based and biodegradable fibres were produced globally in 2022 and research shows that substantial quantities of that will end up in the environment. However, evidence of their ecological impacts has been lacking. Our study has shown that bio-based fibres have a range of adverse effects on earthworms – animals which are critical to the functioning of the environment. It highlights the importance of gathering further evidence before alternatives to conventional plastics are made available even more widely.”
The Need for Testing Alternatives Before Widescale Adoption
Professor Richard Thompson OBE FSR, senior author of the study stated the following: “It is clear that along with recycling and re-use, tackling plastic pollution will require a reduction in the quantities of plastics used and produced. There is increasing interest in alternative materials that could be used as substitutes for plastic, but this publication further emphasises the importance of testing new innovations in relevant environmental settings prior to widescale adoption. I firmly believe it is possible to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, but independent scientific evidence will be critical in helping us avoid unintended consequences as we look for solutions.''
The findings once again underscore the complex nature of efforts to reduce microplastic pollution and emphasize the importance of thoroughly testing new materials before they are widely marketed as plastic alternatives.
If you would like to learn more about the underlying study for this article be sure to check out the paper published in the peer-reviewed science journal Environmental Science & Technology, listed below this article.
Sources and further reading:
Are bio-based microfibres less harmful than conventional plastic microfibres: Evidence from earthworms - (Environmental Science & Technology)
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