Several tons of plastic pellets have washed up along the northern coast of Spain. The spill occurred as a result of a Liberian-registered merchant ship losing six Maersk containers at sea, one of which contained over a thousand 25kg bags of pellets. So far the spill has reached beaches in Galicia and Asturias in Spain, as well as some parts of Portugal.
Researchers are concerned about the potential long-term effects of plastic pellets. The accumulation of plastic pollution disturbs marine ecosystems and poisons organisms that ingest plastic. This can have devastating consequences for the environment and human health.
