Most Arctic towns and settlements are challenged by poor wastewater treatment systems, and the drive towards implementing improved treatment is increasing. Through projects like Climarest and Flushwatch, we intend to raise awareness.
The overall purpose of the Flushwatch project is to contribute to increased citizen awareness in Svalbard, as well as in Greenland and Iceland. The intention is that knowledge of the problems will lead to increased protection against litter and wastewater in the Arctic seas. Findings through the Climarest project revealed that people often flush cotton buds, contact lenses, condoms, sanitary pads/tampons and wet wipes down the drain. All these products form a carpet on the seabed which interferes with the sedimentary deposits and the animals that depend on them.
A recent study in Greenland shows that a roughly estimated contribution of synthetic or semisynthetic plastic litter is approximately 2 tons per year, hereof 1.2 wet wipes.
Toilet paper in a thousand pieces to the left, and the wet wipe still intact, to the right. Photo: Pernille Erland Jensen.
Observations of high concentrations of litter and microplastics along the Greenlandic coastline raises concern. A working group of the Arctic Council, PAME (Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment), has produced a regional action plan on marine litter which includes improving onshore waste and wastewater management.
Plastic litter can physically affect marine organisms and cause biodiversity and ecosystem disturbances and ultimately pose risks to human health. The undesirable omnipresent microplastics and the scatter of plastic litter in the environment give rise to emerging environmental concerns, including in the Arctic.
Read the full article "Poop and wet wipes that don’t dissolve engaged children in Svalbard" here.