Southeast Asia has developed quickly in recent years. As in Japan, plastic leaking into nature has become a problem there. In many areas, waste treatment infrastructure and collection systems have not kept up with growth, so the situation is even more serious. To help solve this, the Government of Japan and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ran CounterMEASURE, a project supporting marine plastic litter measures in Asia. It tracked the sources of plastic pollution and proposed ways to prevent it.

From 2019 to 2022, Pirika, Inc. ("Pirika") used Albatross, its own microplastic survey device, in both CounterMEASURE I and CounterMEASURE II. We surveyed the Mekong River basin, the largest river in Southeast Asia.

1. Sampling across four countries

The Mekong is an international river that flows through several countries to the sea. Pirika took samples in the Mekong basin and its tributaries in four countries: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In CounterMEASURE I we sampled at 33 sites. In CounterMEASURE II we sampled at 60 sites, in both the dry and rainy seasons, for 120 samplings in total. We worked with local partners, such as universities and research institutes in each country. Under several conditions (water deep enough for the survey, little sediment, safe access and so on), we chose sampling points near major cities. To analyze pollution sources and routes, the sites include both places with a lot of flowing water and places with little water where plastic tends to collect.

2. Low cost, short time, anywhere: the compact survey device Albatross

Microplastics can be sampled by towing a special net from a boat or by pumping up water, but these methods have limits in cost and where they can be used. Since our founding, Pirika has worked on a versatile microplastic survey device that is low in cost, does not take a huge amount of time, and works anywhere. In the CounterMEASURE project we used Albatross Unit 7, improved over many versions. Tests have also confirmed that Albatross collects microplastics as effectively as conventional methods.

Albatross sampling was done while Pirika's specialists trained local partners on site and online. This made flexible, mobile surveys possible, and we collected a lot of useful data. Pirika also wants to help spread technology for studying plastic pollution.

3. Analyzing the collected samples

Samples collected on site were flown to Japan and analyzed with equipment in Japan. We used FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer) to identify materials, and a microscope to check appearance and measure thickness.

In the CounterMEASURE II survey, more than 3,000 solid pieces were collected and analyzed from 120 samplings, and more than 2,400 were identified as microplastics. We put the results into a database and compared them with the plastic product data sheets described below to find what the microplastics come from.

4. Finding sources with plastic product data sheets: effective measures

To find where floating microplastics come from, we need to compare them with plastic products actually in use. First, with local partners, we collected macroplastics, which are larger than microplastics, from rivers and canals. We analyzed them and made a first version of a data sheet with parameters useful for comparison, such as material, color and thickness. This lets us collect data efficiently on plastic products likely to leak.

Next, through local partners, we interviewed people in industries that make and sell plastic products. From past microplastic source studies in Japan, Pirika has built up knowledge from interviews with major companies and industry groups for each product category. Building on this, we wanted to understand how plastic products are made and used, which differs from Japan. Several local industry people who know production and consumption gave us hints for identifying leaking products, and we improved the data sheet.

Finally, we compared the data sheet of plastic products likely to leak, based on local conditions, with the analysis of microplastics from the Mekong basin, and identified products. One example is sponges. Interviews with industry people showed that dishwashing sponges are replaced every week. This led to specific solutions, such as more durable sponges, filters in drains, and natural-material alternatives.

However, this comparison cannot identify the source product of every microplastic. More data and improvements are needed to make it easier to find sources. Pirika aims to make the way of collecting microplastics with Albatross and of building data sheets public and widely used, so that more people can help solve the problem.

In closing

Plastic pollution has become widely known as a global problem. Stopping plastic leaks is not easy, because plastic is part of our daily lives. But we believe the results of CounterMEASURE I & II show that spreading reliable and effective survey methods more widely around the world can speed up solutions. Pirika will keep working with international organizations and partners in Japan and abroad to develop new methods and propose effective measures.

Details of Pirika's Consulting business: here