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Video by Dr Olga Pantos

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ESR scientist Dr Olga Pantos defines microplastics and explains what primary and secondary microplastics are.

Transcript

Dr Olga Pantos

The definition of a microplastic is a piece of plastic that's less than 5 mm in size. So these are split into two types - primary and secondary microplastics. Your primary microplastics are those that are made to be that small, so things such as what they used to use in personal cleansers and things to exfoliate or the nurdles which are the preproduction pellets that are used to make bigger things, so they would be considered primary microplastics. Secondary microplastics are pieces of plastic smaller than 5 mm that have been formed by the breakdown of larger items, so this could be a drinks bottle that's broken down in the environment or the fibres from your synthetic clothing.

So we've got some bits of plastic here that were collected from a beach in Wellington. These will keep on breaking down, and once they fall within that 5 mm size, they will continue to break down.

Acknowledgements

Video excerpt from Science and the Plastics Problem, directed by Shirley Horrocks and produced by Point of View Productions. The full documentary can be viewed here.

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ESR scientist Dr Olga Pantos defines microplastics and explains what primary and secondary microplastics are.

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The science learning area in the NZ curriculum promotes the idea of developing citizenship capabilities. Students (citizens) need to be ready, willing and able to use their science knowledge. Five basic capabilities that could contribute to a functional knowledge of science have been identified from Nature of Science (NOS) research. Students participating in the Marine Metre Squared project ail have the opportunity to experience all five of the Science capabilities to varying degrees based on their year level. We have produced resources to help you link Mm2 to your curriculum.

Resources to Use in the Classroom (Post-trip)

Curriculum Links

Introducing five science capabilities

Science Capability 1: Gather and interpret data

Science Capability 2: Use evidence

This resource is under development. Ideas and resources welcome! Email Sally Carson.

Science Capability 3: Critiquing evidence

Science Capability 4: Interpret representations

Science Capability 5: Engage with Science

This resource is under development. Ideas and resources welcome! Email Sally Carson.

Additional Curriculum Resources

Marine Webcams

Check out these live cams as a pre shore visit activity

Science Skills for Mm2 Programme

A programme for Primary students: Inspire your class to think like scientists and engage them in real life science. This is a hands-on session run by our Marine Educators, in your classroom. The aim is to develop the skills your pupils will need for fieldwork, before they get there. The session will introduce scientific language, appropriate equipment to gather relevant and reliable data cooperative team work, safe and ethical practices for surveying and sampling in a coastal environment, observation and identification skills, measurement and recording data. The skills gained will be useful for any scientific field study, but are designed with our seashore monitoring project, Marine Metre Squared (Mm2) in mind. This short session is great preparation for a seashore field trip. Contact the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre Primary Educator for further details.

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The science learning area in the NZ curriculum promotes the idea of developing citizenship capabilities. Students (citizens) need to be ready, willing and able to use their science knowledge. Five basic capabilities that could contribute to a functional knowledge of science have been identified from Nature of Science (NOS) research.

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Watch a documentary on marine pollution and then have a discussion on the impacts microplastics have on marine life. Students can share what surprised them the most and suggest solutions.

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How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic

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Inspiration for microplastics monitoring prototypes 

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Inspiration for microplastics monitoring prototypes 

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We will be designing prototypes for monitoring microplastics. Check out the designs of these students. They must float and be sturdy and ideally not contribute to pollution. We will be walking through the water rather than on a boat!

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Sampling Plankton and Microplastic using DIY Collection Net

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Science learning Hub - marine plastics collection 

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Science learning Hub - marine plastics collection 

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Lots of great activities and articles relevant to the project for student learning

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Collection - Sea science and plastic - Science Learning Hub

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Story of Stuff - Microplastics Discussion

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Story of Stuff - Microplastics Discussion

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Show the 'Story of Stuff' video on microplastics to inspire discussions on consumer behavior and its effects on marine pollution. Engage students in brainstorming ways to reduce plastic usage in their daily lives.

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Litta Traps by EnviroPod - for your stormwater drain

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Litta Traps by EnviroPod - for your stormwater drain

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The EnviroPod™ LittaTrap™ is a modular and versatile inlet filter device designed to capture trash, debris, sediment and other pollutants conveyed in stormwater runoff, meeting water quality objectives and regulations.

Lightweight and structurally robust, with an 8 year warranty, the LittaTrap™ is designed to fit a range of catch basin structures, and can also be customized to meet site-specific pollutant removal requirements, such as sediment or plastic pellets.

Easy to install and maintain, the LittaTrap™ is available across the USA, Canada , Australia and New Zealand and with over 50,000 installed it is the world's leading stormwater Catch Basin Filter.

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Catch Basin Insert | Stormwater Management| Enviropod™

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The LittaTrap is a catch basin filter that prevents litter & other debris from entering the stormwater system. Contact us for stormwater devices!

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Read about actions that other students have done to tackle our marine plastics pollution problems

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Tauranga school children have asked Fonterra to consider ditching plastic straws and wrappers on the milk cartons delivered through its Milk for Schools programme.

The 25 pupils in Room 8 at Pillans Point School sent a video to the global dairy nutrition company asking it to consider a new design that replaced plastic straws with a folded top.

Pillans Point School principal Matt Simeon said the middle school was given a theme to focus on throughout the year which was kaitiaki - guardian or caretaker.

Room 8's challenge was to improve something in their school that will make a difference in 30 years' time.

The classroom had been responsible for distributing the Milk for Schools cartons to their classmates two or three times a week since the school signed up to the programme about three years ago.

Simeon said Fonterra encouraged schools to recycle the milk packs, but the children had a suggestion to improve the programme after seeing how much plastic was used.

"The children sit out on the field and drink their milk," Simeon said. "They were seeing how many children drank the milk each day and saw the straws blow away all the time."

Simeon said the video posted to the school's Facebook page had been shared more than 20,000 times and had reached more than 43,000 people.

"The teacher asked me if we should post it on our Facebook page and we thought that would be nice for the community to see, let alone 43,000 people."

The principal said Fonterra had contacted the school after seeing the video and said it would get back to the pupils early next year.

Fonterra director of social responsibility Carolyn Mortland said Fonterra's Milk for Schools packaging was completely recyclable.

"Everything, including the straws and the wrappers, is turned into roof tiles and school books for kids in Thailand," she said.
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Mortland said it was great to see children so passionate about recycling.

"We have been in touch with the school to let them know we have seen their video and will follow up with them next year to hear their ideas, as we are always looking for new ways to create a sustainable future."
WHAT IS MILK FOR SCHOOLS?
Fonterra farmers are working together to bring healthy, nutritious milk to children across New Zealand through Fonterra Milk for Schools.

The programme is free for all Kiwi kids in any primary school that would like to take part.

Milk For Schools is now in 70 per cent of New Zealand primary schools, but more schools are encouraged to apply online.

More than 140,000 pupils were drinking nutritious Anchor Milk every day.
Source - Fonterra

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Tauranga school children have asked Fonterra to consider ditching plastic straws and wrappers on the milk cartons delivered through its Milk for Schools...

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Cashmere High student microplastics filter

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Cashmere High student microplastics filter

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Action in looking at microplastics washing filters

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A Christchurch high school student believes a simple wool filter could go a long way in stopping microplastics from entering our waterways - and she has evidence to back up her theory.

"A third of all microplastics found in the ocean originates from our laundry - every time we wash our clothes, tiny strands of fabric come off and get washed away with the water," Cashmere High School Year 10 student Millie Palmer said.

"If we could stop these microplastics from ever leaving our washing machines, then we would be doing both the environment and ourselves a huge favour. If everyone had these cartridges (filters), millions of microplastics will be prevented from reaching the water cycle."

Taking water samples from her local stream, Millie added equal amounts of microplastics to each sample and experimented with five different filter materials - natural wool, processed wool, bamboo cloth, woodchip cloth and coconut husk.

She discovered that wool performed best as it filtered 100 percent of the microplastics, confirming her hypothesis.

Her efforts have won her the Wrybill Trophy, an annual science prize for school students across Canterbury named after the bird with a distinctive bent beak that is found only around braided rivers in the South Island.

Our next wicked problem

The Wrybill Awards is backed by us and has been running since 1996.

To win the top trophy, students must exhibit outstanding projects on environmental themes relating to the Council's portfolios or work streams, particularly around how we look after our natural resources while offering innovative solutions.

Winners from local science fairs present their projects to a panel including Canterbury Regional Councillors, Environment Canterbury staff and an external judge.

This year's external judge, Lincoln University Professor Jon Hickford, said it was a tough decision, however, Millie took out the award for her work on microplastics, which he described as our "next wicked problem".

What are microplastics?

"Microplastics have been found in the highest mountains and deepest oceans - it's an emerging problem we're only beginning to understand. Seventy-five percent of fish have been found to have microplastics in them, 500,000 tonnes of microplastics found in textiles enter the global marine environment each year, and we eat on average five grams of microplastics a week - the weight of a credit card," Millie said.

"Over the past five years, microplastic filtration has begun to develop. However, no products I came across used sustainable filter materials."

Young scientists impress with their innovations

Prof Hickford was "blown away" with the quality of the presentations and was impressed to see how Wakanui School students Mitchell Digby and Jack Bennet used technology for their experiment on finding the best bait to catch possums.

He also admired the "great science" and chemistry involved in Cashmere High School student Charlie Caddilac's project on how allelochemicals affect seed germination, and Selwyn House School student Holly Fraser's experiment on safer weed sprays.

Environment Canterbury Chair Peter Scott said running the awards was a team effort, with teachers and parents providing support for students, along with the commitment of Councillors and staff who assisted with judging.

"But the real stars are the young people. They show so much initiative and, once they get going, their passion for the environment and enthusiasm is infectious.

"It's such a positive thing for Environment Canterbury to be involved in, supporting and inspiring young people as they find solutions to problems our generation has caused.

"We've had some interesting people at these awards over the years and it's fascinating to see where they pop up again in the future," he said.

2022 Science Fair winners

Canterbury/Westland

Junior: Holly Fraser, year 7, Selwyn House School with 'Spray Away'

Senior (1st equal): Millie Palmer, year 10, Cashmere High School with 'Microplastics, Macro problem'

Senior (1st equal): Charlie Caddilac, year 11, Cashmere High School with 'The Effects of Allelochemicals on Seed Germination'

Timaru/South Canterbury

Junior: Mitchell Digby and Jack Bennet, Wakanui School with 'Project Possum'

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Student's solution to microplastics just came naturally

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Find out about Millie's award-winning solution to stop microplastics from entering our waterways.

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Removing microplastics from water with magnets

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Removing microplastics from water with magnets

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Ocean plastic litter simulator - where does your plastic go? 

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Ocean plastic litter simulator - where does your plastic go? 

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Click on an area to release virtual plastic and see where it will travel

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Ocean Plastic Simulator - Sustainable Seas Challenge - Cawthron Institute

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Litter intelligence- where data will be entered

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Litter intelligence- where data will be entered

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We will participate in a coastal litter survey. Here we will test student microplastics monitoring devices. This will help students understand the amount of waste that ends up in our oceans firsthand and the importance of individual actions in reducing pollution. We will see if there are links between the litter we find in the school grounds, and what we find at the coastline.

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Create a poster project where students research and present on different marine species affected by plastic pollution in their local area, e.g. red billed gulls, snapper, etc. This activity encourages research skills and creativity. On your poster, include something everyone can do to help this animal and reduce microplastics

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Marine litter and microplastics - video for background

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Marine litter and microplastics - video for background

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Northwest Pacific actions and information about microplastics

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Marine litter and microplastics in seas of the Northwest Pacific