A large amount of plastic waste was found in the deep sea about 500 km offshore of Japan, and the amount of waste is estimated to be up to 7,000 per square kilometer, according to a survey by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

The research team of the Marine Research and Development Organization conducted a survey from August to September in an attempt to clarify the actual state of marine pollution caused by plastic waste.



When we examined the seabeds of five places with different distances from the land and different water depths, we found hamburger bags and toothpaste containers manufactured in 1984 from the deep sea 520 km off the Boso Peninsula and about 5700 meters deep. Found.

Many disposable plastic products such as plastic shopping bags were found even in the deep sea 480 km off the coast of the Boso Peninsula, and the amount of plastic waste was estimated based on the number of visually confirmed waste, and it was about 7,000 per square kilometer. Is understood.



The amount of plastic waste in Sagami Bay, which is closer to the land than these places, about 20 km from the coast and at a depth of 1400 meters, is estimated to be 1950 per square kilometer, which is relatively small.

Ryota Nakajima, Deputy Senior Researcher of Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, said, "In past research, it was said that the farther away from the land, the less garbage there is. It seems that the garbage was carried by the sea current and sank with algae. It is almost impossible to recover the sunk in the deep sea, and the plastic garbage is in the sea. It is necessary to take thorough measures to prevent it from flowing out. "