Studies on micro-waste and microplastics in particular are accumulating to determine their impact on the environment and their potential risk to health. Plastics have been studied for years, in particular their impact on the oceans and the after-effects on wildlife, but our knowledge of the impact of plastics on the environment is still limited. fragmentation is still incomplete.
Micro-waste has a size less than 5mm and are omnipresent in ecosystems. Easily leached by rainwater and meltwater, they can be transported over very long distances and affect the entire food chain. Organisms can easily ingest them. Non-biodegradablethey accumulate in the environment, and throughout the food chain: this is what we call the phenomena of bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
This project, produced by Claude Bernhard for the Summit Foundation, brings together 20 images of micro-plastic fragments, all froma size between 1 and 5mm. The Valais photographer's aim is to make the invisible visible, to answer the question many of us have been asking ourselves: "What do micro-plastics look like?
Claude Bernhard's photographs are shown below.
Annual plastic production reached 348 million tonnes in 2017 (Source: PLASTICSEUROPE) and this quantity is expected to double by 2030 (Source: HEINRICH BÖLL STIFTUNG). Half is used for single-use packaging.
According to the studies, 3% to 10% are dumped into the environment, where the plastic fragments until it ends up absolutely everywhere. According to a study published in 2019, the average human ingests more than 5g of micro-plastics per week, the equivalent of a credit card (Source: WWF) !
In addition to the transport of waste (macro-waste, micro-waste and nano-waste) by water, micro-plastics are also transported by the wind.
Plastic threatens food safety, human health, coastal tourism and contributes to climate change.
50 tonnes of plastic enter Lake Geneva each year (source: SCIENCEDIRECT).
Depending on model, 1% to 5% of plastics are suspended in waterthe rest sinks to the bottom.
Result: <5 tonnes per year leave Lake Geneva by the Rhône.
Initial scientific studies have shown their presence in completely uninhabited regionsincluding in mountain lakes above 1500m (Source: AQUALTI).
Switzerland is Europe's water tower. Yet our waters are as polluted as those of the Mediterranean Sea (Source: OCEANEYE).
We urgently need to take action against plastic pollution, including in our mountains and waters, by documenting the issue more thoroughly, informing the general public to raise awareness of the issues and promoting the ever-increasing number of more effective alternatives to single-use packaging.
A geochemist by training, with a specialism in groundwater dating in arid environments, Claude Bernhard currently works as a science journalist and photojournalist, mainly on issues relating to global warming in the Alps and water resources.
The author of two lavishly illustrated books ("Evolène, Regard sur un paysage" and "La Voix des Eaux, des Alpes au Léman"), it seeks to offer a new perspective on environmental issues, combining scientific relevance with the aesthetics of photography.
Discover its world: WWW.CLAUDEBERNHARD.COM
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
