EDITOR – On the morning of Sunday, 15 October I was part of a group walking along the Durban beachfront.
We came across plenty of plastic pellets on the beach – smooth, round, white discs about 4mm in diameter and 2mm thick.
There must have been millions, or tons of them lining the surf zone. I have attached a photograph of some of them.
These pellets were quite possibly washed up after the storm of Tuesday, 10 October. I took some home and placed them in a solution of hydrochloric acid, hoping to simulate the stomach of a marine animal.
The pellets did not dissolve, they’re still there as this missive was written. This means they will probably end up as solids in the digestive systems of these animals. Some will remain there and clog or irritate the internals of the animals, while some will be excreted to end up elsewhere in the food chain.
The beads may have been washed into the rivers and/or the sea during a storm, but the original polluters should be penalised nonetheless, for not protecting us and our planet from this mess. I would support a campaign to avoid and even prohibit the use of plastics for all non-essential purposes, and not simply shopping bags.
FRED TURCK
Athlone Park
