Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Turkey
  • Istanbul
  • Education
  • Investigations
  • Minorities
  • Expat Corner
  • Diaspora

Plastic pollution threatens Turkey’s Black Sea coastline

by DAILY SABAH

ISTANBUL Sep 20, 2021 - 12:57 pm GMT+3
A plastic bottle dumped on the coast of Black Sea, in Trabzon, northern Turkey, Sept. 20, 2021. (DHA PHOTO)
A plastic bottle dumped on the coast of Black Sea, in Trabzon, northern Turkey, Sept. 20, 2021. (DHA PHOTO)
by DAILY SABAH Sep 20, 2021 12:57 pm
RECOMMENDED
A view of the rubble of a building hit by the earthquake in Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş, Feb. 6, 2023. (AA Photo)

Death toll rises to 3,432 after magnitude 7.7 quake rocks SE Türkiye

EARTHQUAKE

Masks and face shields litter the Turkish parts of the Black Sea, a joint project by countries littoral to the sea revealed. Turkey, Georgia, Romania and Bulgaria joined forces for European Union-funded Raising Public Awareness and Reducing Marine Litter for Protection of the Black Sea Ecosystem (LitOuter). It aims to fight overall marine pollution, particularly microplastics, which have emerged as a dire threat for oceans and seas across the world in recent years.

The coasts of Sürmene and Of, two districts in the Turkish Black Sea province of Trabzon, are included in the pilot stage of the project in Turkey. Scholars working on the project, however, are horrified by their findings: 2,500 pieces of waste in an area of only 500 square meters (5,382 square feet). Apart from discarded plastic water bottles, protective masks and face shields, whose use skyrocketed amid ongoing coronavirus pandemic, litter the Black Sea which stretches across more than 1,320 kilometers (820 miles) of Turkish territory.

The studies across the Black Sea show plastics make up 80% of the waste. Along with waste directly discarded at sea, streams crisscrossing the Black Sea highlands located far from the coast also serve as a source of pollution. Researchers say a plastic bottle can be carried by winds to a stream and from there find its way to the Black Sea, sometimes traveling for hundreds of kilometers.

Professor Coşkun Erüz, the Turkey coordinator of the project and a scholar at the Karadeniz Technical University's Faculty of Maritime Sciences, says the team observed both pollution at sea and on the coasts and were working on modeling the pollution routes. Erüz told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Monday that although solid waste is regularly collected and disposed of in the region, the Black Sea still had a serious “waste burden.” “It shows that although we have a proper recycling system, people are not sensitive to pollution issues. They lack awareness on proper disposal of waste,” he said. Erüz pointed out that waste linked to the coronavirus pandemic is becoming increasingly visible in the Black Sea, from masks to bottles of cologne and hand sanitizer. “Medical waste is the most dangerous among the waste; it can cause diseases. But unfortunately, we see it makes up 5% of the waste here. In the 500 square meter space we examined, for instance, we came across at least 125 masks,” he added.

RECOMMENDED
A view of the rubble of a building hit by the earthquake in Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş, Feb. 6, 2023. (AA Photo)

Death toll rises to 3,432 after magnitude 7.7 quake rocks SE Türkiye

EARTHQUAKE
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    black sea pollution covid-19 masks
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A Turkish Airlines aircraft is seen as a snow plow cleans runway at Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Türkiye, Jan. 24, 2022. (DHA Photo)

    Over 200 flights cancelled in Istanbul due to expected snowstorm

    snowstorm
    The collapsed part of Gaziantep Castle, Feb. 6, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Gaziantep Castle collapses after magnitude 7.7 quake hit Türkiye

    EARTHQUAKE

    Deadly quake damages Türkiye's energy infrastructure, major port

    earthquake

    Türkiye declares 7 days of national mourning after earthquakes

    türkiye
    No Image
    Another scaled-down hajj this year amid COVID-19
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021