Five Minutes With…Dr Imogen Napper
Dr Imogen Napper, Marine Scientist and National Geographic Sky Ocean Rescue Scholar
Your groundbreaking research led to legislation banning microbeads in the UK, can you tell us how this research came about?
I had always been curious about how plastics got into the marine environment. There had been lots of discussion about the problems caused once they’re in our oceans but I was fascinated with how plastics get there in the first place and what that journey from being in someone's home to washing up on a beach is. I caught wind with my supervisor about microbeads in facial scrubs and got really interested in this because I used some of these scrubs myself and I had never considered that there would be plastic in them. So, when we found out they contained plastic microbeads, we started to research just how many could be in a bottle.
Originally, I thought there would be 100 or 200 but as we were doing the extractions it was taking me a long time. We use a technique called vacuum filtration; just imagine a mesh material that liquid can pass through, but solids stay on top. Well, it kept getting clogged up because there was too much plastic and it really took me by surprise! When we did some calculations using a machine called a particle size, we found that these ‘beads’ were more like fine grains of powder and we were able to estimate that one typical bottle could contain up to 3 million tiny plastic microbeads, which could then potentially go down into oceans. It really taught me that research is there to help industry and consumers make effective change and aid future strategies for a greener world.
The terminology around plastics from microbeads to microplastics to nanoplastics can be very confusing, what should the average person be most concerned about?
It’s a good question because I agree, the terminology can be confusing. Often in interviews or in conversations with friends, microbeads are used to describe all microplastic. We need to help people to understand the terminology and not just expect them to know. Education is power and with power comes change, and hopefully positive change. Something that I would love to see in my lifetime is for schools to incorporate lessons on environmental matters so that the future changemakers, lawyers and refuse collectors are more informed to make the right decisions going forward in their personal life and in the industries they end up working in. They are the future of our economy and our planet.
Although banned in many countries, to make sure your facial scrub doesn’t contain microbeads you can check the ingredients list. If the ingredients list says it contains polyethylene or polypropylene, then choose another plastic free alternative.
What is the precise danger of microplastics in our oceans?
For me, the big risk is that it is making our oceans into a big plastic soup. How do you remove plastic that is so small you can barely see it? Additionally, it’s the sheer quantity - I’ve heard we are inputting a rubbish truck of plastic into our ocean every minute. Plastic has only been made in the last 100 years, so can you imagine what it will be like in another 100 years?! We are at an exciting time where we can turn the tide and stop a large majority of this mess.
What are you researching now and what are you hoping to discover to help move us to a circular plastics economy?
I’m doing some research about microplastics on Mount Everest and how we have potentially discovered the highest microplastics ever found. There’s been a few papers to suggest that plastics can be transported by wind for huge distances and unfortunately settle in the natural environment. Plastic van be found even in the most pristine places in America and in the Alps. Essentially, wherever people go plastics can be found because they fall off our clothes and hiking equipment and so on.
I am also working on an expedition with National Geographic called ‘Ganges: Sea to Source’, to identify how a major river system can input plastic into the marine environment, whether it’s sinking or going out to sea or ending up somewhere entirely different. It’s trying to get that whole 3D picture of where it's going and looking at the sources.
What can the average person do to help reduce or eliminate plastics in the marine environment?
I think we need to recognise that being plastic free is expensive. The plastic free shops are out of reach for a lot of people. So, I'm concerned that it segregates members of society. What I would like to say to people is that what you already have in your own homes is the best way that you can be sustainable. Try reusing things even if they're plastic, just keep reusing it. Be more cautious about what you're buying. In terms of microbeads in facial scrubs, all we had to do was look at the ingredients list. We weren’t saying not to buy facial scrubs, but just by taking a few seconds to look at the ingredients list you can make an informed choice to buy a plastic-free scrub. Try washing your clothes less. Basically, it doesn’t have to be about totally reinventing your lifestyle, you can make small everyday changes that will eventually create a big impact.
What’s the role for business and government? Should we be putting more emphasis on wastewater management and plastic waste disposal?
It’s a very complex issue and the solutions will vary depending on where you live in the world. In the western world wastewater treatment facilities can be up to 96% effective, which is incredible. But in other countries, such as India, they can lack the infrastructure, so waste can go straight into the river. No country is perfect, but we need global collaboration so that we can all help each other globally. But the other problem is that even with wastewater treatments being 96% effective, there’s still thousands of plastics going into the waterways every day. Then, if they are captured, they’re put into something called sewage sludge, which can end up on our land as fertiliser and ultimately into our soils.
We need a three-pronged attack. Consumers need to be aware of the problem, government needs to enforce consumer and business behaviour, but business is the guinea pig wheel of society. They give us the products, the clothes, the food. So, if business has sustainability at the top of their agenda imagine the change we could make. What I'd love to see business do is to think from the get-go of building a product or service about how it can work in a circular economy. To ask, what happens when the service is finished or what happens during the lifecycle of this product, how can we make it more environmentally friendly, does it need to be made of plastics? These are the conversations that we need to be having from the start, rather than towards the end, because when it's towards the end the products are already made and it’s hard to make that change.
What gives you hope for our planet?
A lot of things actually! When I started my PhD I thought plastic was the devil but I have realised that used in the right way it’s an incredible material that can change many sectors for the better such as healthcare, farming and agriculture. We just need to have the discussion about how to make it more sustainable.
The thing that really excites me is when I deliver talks in schools, especially primary schools. Teaching young children about the ocean and hearing so many of them say they want to become explorers gives me that glimmer of hope for the future.
Yes, we’ve made a mess but we’re cleaning it up. As with any mess it's a bit painful, you don't often want to do it, it’s slow. But, if you keep thinking of what it's going to be like the next day, it’s worth it! We just need to imagine that’s the environment and keep on having the conversations that will move society forward.
Follow Imogen at @imogennapper or visit www.imogen-napper.com