In Response: An industry perspective on the key challenges and guidance

摘要

Annual global plastic production is estimated to be on the order of 280 million tons per year, with further estimates that as much as 10% of all plastic will become debris in the global marine environment [1]. The presence of plastic in the world's seas and oceans can result in a myriad of physical hazards, such as entanglements, which can lead to suffocation or drowning, and physical obstructions in throats or digestive tracts. Plastic also can act as a vector of transport for both invasive species and-given its high capacity to sorb hydrophobic chemicals-organic chemicals, particularly those that are persistent, bioaccumula-tive, and toxic (PBT) [2]. Assessing the risks associated with the presence of plastic in the marine environment thus represents a challenge, because the difficulties in prioritizing the various hazards with respect to their relative potential to affect populations and ecosystems are considerable.