Microplastics — plastic particles less than 5mm in diameter — are present in all waters surrounding Taiwan, a study released on Thursday by the Kuroshio Ocean Education Foundation found.
The foundation said that in May of last year launched it a week-long study of microplastics in surface waters, collecting samples at 51 locations near Taiwan proper, Penghu County, Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球), Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and other outlying islands.
Analyses showed that there were microplastics at all 51 locations, foundation researcher Wen Pei-chen (溫珮珍) said in Taipei.
Photo: CNA
The concentration of microplastics ranged from 0.016 to 64.12 particles per cubic meter of ocean water, which in an Olympic-sized swimming pool would be the equivalent of finding between 30 and 100,000 plastic particles, she said.
The estuary of Chiayi County’s Bajhang Creek (八掌溪) had the highest concentration of microplastics (64.12 particles per cubic meter) out of the samples collected, followed by the estuary of Kaohsiung’s Houjing River (後勁溪) (4.9 particles per cubic meter) and waters near Keelung’s Heping Island (和平島, 3.1 particles per cubic meter), Wen said.
Hard or rigid plastics made up the highest proportion of microplastics found, indicating that plastics used in everyday life still account for the majority of microplastics pollution, she said.
The Bajhang Creek estuary had the most spherical microplastics, most of which originated from raw materials used in plastic processing, Wen said, adding that it might be related to the activities of factories upstream or in neighboring cities and counties.
In waters off southwestern Taiwan, where human activity is the most intense, the concentration of microplastics was also relatively high, the foundation said.
Soft or flexible plastics made up 9.7 percent of the microplastics detected at eight southwestern sampling locations, while foam microplastics made up 6.9 percent, it added.
The study only examined the current situation, foundation chief executive Chang Hui-chun (張卉君) said.
The government should allocate resources for a long-term study of the microplastics problem in waters off Taiwan and propose policies to counter the problem, she added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS