Bags and products made from plastic components have made life easier, but this lifestyle of luxury and convenience comes at the cost of our oceans and marine wildlife.
Researchers from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, together with the Norwegian Genok Centre for Biosafety, have been tasked to conduct ground-breaking research on the impact that microplastics have on oceans.
“Microplastics have become a major source of concern due to their high release rates into the environment, with the ocean acting as a dumping ground for plastic waste,” says Prof Bezuidenhout. “Norway, South Africa and the United Nations Environmental Assembly already recognise microplastics as a priority, due to the potential negative impact they have on marine organisms and ecosystems.
A first of its kind for SA
The researchers will conduct a four-year study - “Microplastics in wastewater as a carrier and dispersal route of antibiotic resistance in oceans”.
This research, which is a first of its kind for South Africa, will be led by Dr Odd-Gunnar Wikmark from Norway and Prof Bezuidenhout. Prof Henk Bouwman from the NWU’s subject group Zoology and one of the authors of a research report on microplastics in water, will be one of the collaborators on the study.
According to Prof Bezuidenhout this project will for the first time provide data to map the types of microplastics and associated biofilms, as well as the characteristics associated with its locality. This will be done in temperate and tropical oceans around South Africa and the colder Arctic oceans around Norway.
He says the project aims to describe the type of microplastics and biofilm associations linked to seasonal variations. It will also aim to characterise associated bacteria according to its potential to cause disease, and describe the antibiotics to which these bacteria are resistant to.
National and international funding for research
The NWU and Norwegian Genok Centre for Biosafety successfully obtained funding from the South Africa – Norway Co-operation on Ocean Research (SANOCEAN) 2018-2023 bilateral research programme. The aim of the SANOCEAN initiative is to enhance research focused on oceans and the blue economy in both South-Africa and Norway.
The research is also jointly funded by National Research Foundation in South Africa and the Research Council of Norway.
The NWU looks forward to the innovative and ground-breaking research that will be conducted.
Dr Lesego Molale-Tom, Prof Carlos Bezuidenhout and Dr Charlotte Mienie from the NWU School for Biological Sciences and Prof Henk Bouwman from the subject group Zoology (insert) have been tasked to conduct research on the impact that microplastics have on oceans.
