They have been breaking on the beaches of the Atlantic coast since the end of November. And more intensively for fifteen days between Vendée and Finistère. The plastic microbeads collected for analysis have a similar composition and characteristics, suggesting a common origin, according to an expert report.
“The analyzes do not make it possible to exclude a common origin of the GPI [granulés plastiques industriels] for the majority white and translucent GPIs in the samples taken”, indicated Nicolas Tamic, deputy director of the Documentation, research and experimentation center on accidental water pollution (Cedre), based in Brest.
They stayed at sea for a short time.
Cedre analyzed these microbeads, also nicknamed “mermaid’s tears”, at the request of the departmental directorate for territories and the sea (DDTM) of Loire-Altantique. According to its report finalized on Tuesday evening, the analyzes indicate a very majority presence of polyethylene in the granules, up to 90%, and do not show “any major difference in the characteristics of the GPIs taken from the sites visited”. These plastic pellets of less than 5 mm also remained for a short time in the marine environment, according to the same source.
However, Cedre specifies that it is “impossible to determine the origin of the arrivals”, given the “reverse drift models”. “It’s the same type of pollutant but there can be several sources. We cannot say: it comes from the same bag, ”deciphered Nicolas Tamic.
One million marbles per bag
Used as a raw material by the plastics industry, these plastic pellets are generally packaged in 25 kg bags (containing one million balls each) and are used in the manufacture of most plastic objects, from car bumpers in the salad bowl. Once dispersed in water, the pellets are often ingested by marine animals and can then end up in human food.
The State on Tuesday filed a complaint against X following this pollution, with the public prosecutor of Brest, indicated the Secretary of State for the Sea Hervé Berville, who also announced “having launched on behalf of the France a request to make the loss of containers by ships a priority area of work for the international maritime organization “.