HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0664.107 2014-2016 •
Margaret Wille �iY•of„' Phone No. Hilo: (808)961-8027
Council Member �� �'�+.,'•. Phone No. Waimea: (808) 887-2043
District 9-North and South Kohala ' � �' �
�6i;� Fax No.: (808)887-2072
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•��� ,'/, i.: E-Mail: mwille@co.hawaii.hi.us
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HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL
County of Hawai`i
Hawaii County Building Holomua Center West Hawaii Civic Center Bldg.A
25 Aupuni Street 64-1067 Mamalahoa Highway, Suite C-5 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy.
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Waimea, Hawaii 96743 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii,96740
TO: Dru Mamo Kanuha, Council Chair
and Members of the Hawaii County Council ;
•
-
FROM: Margaret Wille, Council Member
DATE: May 31, 2016
SUBJECT: UH—Hilo Student Study Information for Bill No. 140, Draft 2 Discussion
Please find attached the study from University of Hawaii—Hilo student Chris Thomson for
reference during the Bill No. 140, Draft 2 discussion on June 3, 2016.
Thank you.
MW/dh
att
Comm. No. (0(9(1. 107
Ref. To: E 1 CAQ
Ref. Date_ JUN 0 3 2016
Serving the Interests of the People of Our Island
Hawai`i County Is An Equal Opportunity Provider And Employer
Impacts of Styrofoam on Laysan Albatross
By Chris Thomson
University of Hawai`i at Hilo
200 W Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720
Abstract
Plastics are a growing concern in marine environments. Styrofoam is a particular type of
plastic that is commonly used for commercial use in restaurants for food containers and
storage. Styrofoam has certain properties that can affect many types of marine life,
including the Laysan Albatross. The Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) is a
species of seabird that is ecologically and culturally important to Hawai`i. There are
several negative impacts that Styrofoam has on Laysan Albatrosses. In this paper, we will
highlight these issues and introduce the benefits of passing the Styrofoam ban bill in
Hawai`i.
Introduction
Plastics are used in our everyday life. Currently, there is an estimated to a density
of 1000-4000 pieces per kilometer squared of plastic in the world's oceans and can cover
a depth of about 2 miles deep (Azzarello & Vleet 1987; Moore, Personal Communication
2016). One particular type of plastic that is commonly used is Styrofoam. Styrofoam is a
brand name of expanded polystyrene foam and is also known as plastic #6. It is a
petroleum-based product and is comprised of different types of styrene monomers
including styrene and benzene. About 98% of Styrofoam is composed of air (Credgington
1
2014). This causes Styrofoam to be very buoyant and persist at the ocean surface. Over
time, the air begins to leak out of the Styrofoam, causing the Styrofoam to sink at a slow
rate, allowing it to occupy several environmental niches in the water column. Styrofoam
can crumble into smaller particles that can litter the water. It is non-biodegradable in its
current state and can enter ocean waters through runoff, littering, and breaching of
landfills (Harvard 2008). The properties of Styrofoam allow it to persist in marine
environments in different forms for long periods of time.
The Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) is a seabird in the Order
Procellariiforme. Albatrosses can grow to a height of about one meter with a wingspan of
two meters. Lifespan of the Laysan Albatross can reach 40 to 60 years. The Laysan
Albatross is known for its courtship dances that it utilizes to find a mate, which is chosen
for life. Females usually lay one egg per year and both parents take turns taking care of
the egg. Laysan Albatrosses have been observed travelling long distances across the
ocean to forage for food for their chick. Laysan Albatrosses are surface feeders and have
a diet that consists of fish, fish eggs, squid, and crustaceans. This species is ecologically
important because the birds can provide areas with nutrients through their droppings.
They also can transport seeds and insects stuck to their wings over long distances to other
areas. Laysan Albatrosses are also culturally significant because their bones are used in
traditional Hawaiian tattooing practices. They also act as guides for navigators to find
their way to land while sailing. Laysan Albatrosses produce pellets of indigestible items
called boluses. Albatross boluses can be used to determine the health of the Laysan
population. In recent times, boluses have been found to contain large amounts of plastics,
including Styrofoam. There are three known impacts of plastics on albatrosses: foraging
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disruption, toxicity impacts, and blockage of digestive tracts in the Albatross (Ryan
1989). In this paper, these impacts of Styrofoam on Laysan Albatrosses will be addressed
as well as possible solutions on political and personal levels.
Impacts of Styrofoam
The first impact that the Styrofoam has on Laysan Albatrosses is the impact on
foraging. Some colonies of Laysan Albatrosses have a foraging area that is limited to the
Western Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean (Young et al. 2009). This area has large
amounts of plastic debris that persist in the water. Amphipods are a type of crustacean
that Laysan Albatrosses feed on. When the amphipod digests a certain parasite, they
begin to change to a noticeable shade of orange. As Styrofoam is exposed to sunlight
over a long period of time, the coloring of it becomes an orange color (Personal
Communication 2016). Laysan Albatross can mistake small bits of orange Styrofoam for
amphipods and consume them. Styrofoam in longer shapes can be mistaken for larger
organisms such as squid or fish. Laysan Albatrosses have been found to consume plastics
as big as 200 cc (6.7 fluid ounces) and are of the same color as their prey (Sileo et al.
1989). Large Styrofoam pieces in the ocean can also house small organisms and result in
unintentional ingestion of Styrofoam (Gregory 2009). Styrofoam impacts Laysan
foraging habits because they oftentimes mistake bits of the polystyrene for food or
Styrofoam is targeted in order to eat prey that live on it.
Styrofoam can also impact Laysan Albatrosses by causing problems with their
digestive tracts. When Albatrosses ingest Styrofoam, the result is often blockage of
digestive tracts and prevention of food ingestion (Blight and Burger 1997); further
3
causing lack of nutrients getting to the bird, choking, and inability to regurgitate.
Blockage in the proventriculus or intestine can also result in the formation of ulcers
erosion of the organ lining (Sileo et al. 1989). It has been observed that individual bird's
body weight has a negative correlation with the amounts of plastic that it consumes
(Spear 1995). Regurgitation is the method by which adult Laysan Albatross feed their
chicks. The plastics that are ingested by adults are offloaded to the offspring. Laysan
Albatross chicks were found to have a large item count and great diversity of plastics in
their stomachs (Sileo et al. 1989). Styrofoam can also be accumulated in the Albatross
stomach through prey items that previously consumed Styrofoam (Choy & Drazen 2013).
The final impact is accumulation of toxins in the Albatrosses. Styrofoam acts as a
"magnet," attracting many types of persistent organic pollutants and toxic metals that
accumulate. These toxins include, mercury, DDT, PCBs, and lead. When an Albatross
consumes Styrofoam, it consumes also the toxins. In addition, Styrofoam can also give
off toxins in the form of styrene monomers (Moore, Personal Communications 2016).
These toxins can lead to health problems, such as neurological problems, developmental
issues, and fatality. The toxins can also cause issues for offspring, including eggshell
thinning and developmental problems in incubating and hatched chicks. Toxins in
Styrofoam consumed by prey items can also be bioaccumulated up to Laysan Albatrosses
(Teuten et al. 2009). PCB levels found in seabirds off the coast of Southern Brazil were
found to range from 68.0-99.o nanograms per gram, resulting in fatality among the
seabirds (Colabuono et al. 2010). These impacts can effectively reduce Laysan Albatross
populations and disrupt ocean ecosystems.
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Hawaii Bill 140
Currently, Bill 140 is in Hawai`i County legislature. The Bill aims to prohibit the
use of Styrofoam in restaurants in an effort to reduce environmental impacts of
Styrofoam. The bill would benefit Laysan Albatrosses, as well as other marine
organisms, by removing potential future harms of Styrofoam that could enter the ocean.
By passing this initiative, we could potentially see cleaner waters and fewer plastics in
Albatross stomachs and boluses. Similar bills have been passed in 11 states and in the
District of Columbia. A recent, similar ban in Palo Alto, California, has resulted in
reduced environmental impacts by Styrofoam. This ban serves as an example of the
benefits that Bill 140 could have for Hawai`i County.
Passing the bill would also mean that restaurants would have to change their food
containers. There are several solutions to this problem. Incentivizing costumers to bring
in their own reusable containers to the restaurants is a potential solution. Creating a
program that gives costumers incentives to bring their own reusable could generate
revenue to the restaurant as well as provide an ecological solution by providing an
alternative to Styrofoam. The restaurant could provide discounts or coupons for
costumers who provide their own containers. The second alternative could go hand in
hand with the first alternative by providing biodegradable substitute containers for
costumers who do not have their own food containers. Biodegradable food containers are
sustainable for the environment and could generate another business in the manufacturing
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of this product. These solutions provide an economical, ecological, and social benefit for
costumers and restaurant owners.
Conclusion
Styrofoam that accumulates in our oceans has resulted in negative impacts on
marine life. It can occupy several different niches in many parts of the water column,
causing negative impacts on the marine life around it. Frequency of Styrofoam
occurrence in seabirds has been observed to be on the rise (Robards et al. 1995),
including negative impacts for the Laysan Albatross. Laysan Albatrosses are an
ecologically and culturally important species and should be protected. In order to protect
and preserve this species, it is our responsibility to reduce our use of Styrofoam on a
personal and governmental level. On small scale, personal levels, we can do our part to
reduce Styrofoam use by using biodegradable alternatives and glassware, as well as
refuse to purchase items contained in Styrofoam. Passing Bill 140 through Hawaii's
county legislature will help take even larger action against Styrofoam. Although plastics
are in such large quantity in the oceans, taking these initiatives will mark the beginning of
efforts to have a cleaner, safer ocean.
6
Works Cited
Azzarello M, Vleet EV (1987) Marine birds and plastic pollution. Marine Ecology
Progress Series 37: 295-303
Blight LK, Burger AE (1997) Occurrence of plastic particles in seabirds from the eastern
North Pacific. Marine Pollution Bulletin 34(5): 323-325
Credgington A (2014) Styrofoam Recycling Expands at UW. Retrieved April 28, 2016,
from
http://www.washington.edu/facilities/building/recyclingandsolidwaste/files/newsl
etter/issue3-11/page6.html
Choy CA, Drazen JC (2013) Plastic for dinner? Observations of frequent debris ingestion
by pelagic predatory fishes from the central North Pacific. Marine Ecology
Progress Series 485: 155-163
Colabuono F1, Taniguchi S, Montone RC (2010) Polychlorinated biphenyls and
organochlorine pesticides in plastics ingested by seabirds. Marine Pollution
Bulletin 60(4): 630-634
Gregory MR (2009) Environmental implications of plastic debris in marine settings--
entanglement, ingestion, smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and alien
7
invasions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
364(1526): 2013-2025
Harvard University (2008) Polystyrene Fast facts. Retrieved from
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic967858.files/PolystyreneFactSheets.pdf
Moore C (2016) Personal Interview via Skype.
Robards MD, Piatt JF, Wohl KD (1995) Increasing frequency of plastic particles ingested
by seabirds in the subarctic North Pacific. Marine Pollution Bulletin 30(2): 151-
157
Ryan PG (1989) The effects of ingested plastic and other marine debris on seabirds.
Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Marine Debris 623-634
Sileo L, Sievert PR, Samuel MD. Fefer SI (1989) Prevalence and characteristics of
plastics ingested by hawaiian seabirds. Proceedings of the Second International
Conference on Marine Debris: 665-679
Teuten EL, Saquing JM, Knappe DR, Barlaz MA, Jonsson S, Bjorn A, Rowland SJ,
Thompson RC, Galloway TS, Yamashita R. Ochi D, Waranuki Y, Moore C, Viet
PH,Tana TS, Prudente M. Boonyatumanond R, Zakaria MP, Akkhavong K, Ogata
Y,rai H, Iwasa 5, Mizukawa K, Hagino Y, Imamura A, Saha M, Takada H (2009).
Transport and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to
8
wildlife. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
364(1526): 2027-2045
Young LC, Vanderlip C, Duffy DC, Afanasyev V, Shaffer SA (2009) Bringing home the
trash: do colony-based differences in foraging distribution lead to increased
plastic ingestion in laysan albatrosses? PLoS ONE 4(10)
Annotated Bibliography
Azzarello M, Vleet EV (1987) Marine birds and plastic pollution. Marine Ecology
Progress Series 37: 295-303
In this article, the presence of plastic particles in the ocean and their effects on
seabirds are studied. Plastics are one of the most common types of marine debris and can
accumulate to a density of 1000-4000 pieces per kilometers square. Seabirds in the Order
Procellariiformes (shearwaters, albatross, and petrels) are the most vulnerable to these
plastics when it is ingested; their gizzards are small and they lack the ability to
regurgitate plastics. This article was an informative review paper of data. It supported its
argument with research from other articles and addresses that this topic should be studied
more to properly assess the harm that marine debris has on seabirds.
Blight LK, Burger AE (1997) Occurrence of plastic particles in seabirds from the eastern
North Pacific. Marine Pollution Bulletin 34(5): 323-325
9
Plastic particles in stomach content were examined among Northeastern Pacific
seabirds. Out of the 11 collected species, 8 of them were found to have plastics in their
stomachs. It was commonly found among species that were surface feeders. The densities
of plastic found among certain species were dense enough to prohibit digestion. It was
found that 29% of the plastics were industrial pellets and 71% were used plastics. This
article is well organized and shows the information neatly on a table. It talks about Black
footed Albatross; this information can be compared to Laysan Albatross.
Choy CA, Drazen JC (2013) Plastic for dinner'? Observations of frequent debris ingestion
by pelagic predatory fishes from the central north Pacific. Marine Ecology Progress
Series 485: 155-16.3
In this article, debris digestion was explored among several marine organisms in
the central North Pacific Subtropic Gyre. The study found that predatory pelagic fishes
showed repeated observation of marine debris ingestion (in 7 species). Species with high
incidences of debris ingestion were thought to be mesopelagic and unlikely to be in
contact with debris fields at the ocean surface. This article is very wordy and the
information can be a little confusing. It also focuses mostly on fish, but this can be
important because some of the observed fish species could be potential prey items of
albatross or other seabirds.
10
Colabuono Fl, Taniguchi S, Montonc RC (2010) Polychlorinated biphenyls and
organochlorine pesticides in plastics ingested by seabirds. Marine Pollution Bulletin
60(4): 630-634
This article talks about the presence of PCBs and pesticides found in
Procellariiformes that ingested plastics in Southern Brazil. Several samples from seabirds
collected in this location were taken to measure and identify the types of plastics found in
them. The plastics were categorized into three groups: plastic pellets, plastic fragements,
and nylon string. These plastics were analyzed to determine the presence of PCBs and
pesticides. It was found that PCB was high among the fragments and pellets, and among
pesticides, the concentrations got to be as high as a range from 68.0-99.0 nanograms per
gram. This article was helpful in determining the categorizes of plastics and with some
further information, styrofoam can be identified with one of them.
Gregory MR(2009) Environmental implications of plastic debris in marine settings--
entanglement, ingestion, smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and alien invasions.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 364(1526): 2013-
2025
This article talks about the various consequences that plastic debris can have on
marine life. This includes entanglement, ingestion, smothering, introduction of alien
species and ocean hitch-hiking. This article is a good review paper that draws from many
sources and introduces so interesting topics like hitch-hiking species that can be
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transported using the floating debris. This information is important because it can lead to
ingestion of plastics by Albatross who mistake plastics for prey or that try to eat prey
items that hitch-hike on or around the floating plastics.
Robards MD, Platt JF, Wohl KD (1995) Increasing frequency of plastic particles ingested
by seabirds in the subarctic North Pacific. Marine Pollution Bulletin 30(2): 151-157
In this article, the study focuses on North Pacific Subarctic seabirds and the
frequency of ingesting plastic particles. Gut content of 1799 seabirds between 24 species
were collected between 1988 to 1990 in subarctic waters near Alaska. The gut content
was assess for quantity and type of plastics. Species found to ingest plastic included
plankton feeding or surface feeing birds including gulls, shearwaters, and auklets. The
plastic particles were found to be 76% industrial pellets and 21% of used plastics.
Geographically, the ingestion rates varied and no trends were found. It was found that
comparing similar data collected from 1969-1977 to collected data, there was an increase
in frequency of occurence of plastic particles among seabirds. This article was
informative and could also be compared or contrasted to Albatross feedin habits and
plastic ingestion frequency.
Ryan PG (1989) the effects of ingested plastic and other marine debris on seabirds.
Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Marine Debris 623-634
12
This article is about the effects of plastics in the ocean when ingested by seabirds.
There are three known impacts of ingested plastics on seabirds: blockage of digestive
organs by lodged plastics, poisoning of the birds from chemicals that are degraded from
the plastics, and inhibition of foraging. This study aimed to test the vulnerability and
ailments that plastics have on seabirds. The results of the study found that not all seabirds
are impacted in the same way by ingested plastics. due to different abilities to regurgitate
the plastics: however, the ones that do regurgitate oftentimes offload the plastics to their
young. It was an interesting, old article that still holds up to current times and really
drives home the idea plastics is impacting the livelihood of the birds.
Sileo L, Sievert PR, Samuel MD, Feler SI (1989) Prevalence and characteristics of
plastics ingested by Hawaiian seabirds. Proceedings of the Second International
Conference on Marine Debris: 665-679
This article is about the effects that plastics have on different species of seabirds.
Seven study sites in the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll and 18 species of seabirds
were reported in this article. Induced regurgitation from live birds and necropsy of dead
birds were the methods used to collect data on stomach content. This paper found that the
prevalence of plastic varied among different species of birds. It was a very informative
paper that was very detailed with several tables. Data were collected in a fashion that
would minimize harm to the birds, which I liked about the study.
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Spear LB, Ainley DG, Ribic CA (1995) Incidence of plastic in seabirds from the tropical
pacific, 1984-1991: Relation with distribution of species, sex, age, season, year and body
weight. Marine Environmental Research 40(2): 123-146
In this article, incidence of plastics among Pacific seabirds was studied. This
study collected 1574 individuals among 36 species of Pacific seabirds between 110-150
west degrees longitude from 1984 to 1991. Resident species were compared to those that
bred in other regions. Age, season patterns, and particle information were collected from
five Procellariiform species. It was found that heavier birds were more likely to contain
plastic, due to them being in better physical conditions to fed in high plastic and food
density areas. It was also found that individuals who ingested plastics had a negative
correlation between body weight and number of plastic particle ingested. This article was
informative; however I did not like how they collected the specimens (with a shotgun).
This article helps to explain the impacts that albatrosses could be experience, since they
are big birds.
Teuten.EL, Saquing JM, Knappe DR, Barlaz MA, Jonsson S, Bjorn A. Rowland SJ,
Thompson RC, Galloway TS, Yamashita R, Ochi D. Waranuki Y, Moore C, Viet
PH,Tana TS, Prudente M, Boonyatumanond R, Zakaria MP, Akkhavong K, Ogata Y,rai
H, Iwasa S. Mizukawa K, Hagino Y, Imamura A. Saha M, Takada H (2009). Transport
and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to wildlife. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 364(1526): 2027-2045
14
In this article, plastic debris in the ocean, specifically the smaller particles, are
addressed. Plastic fragments can contain organic compounds including polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs). This review aimed to highlight the process of how these organic
compounds are introduced in to environments. It can be introduced to an environment by
leaching of the contaminated from landfills and accumulation through ingestion of small
particles by animals. This paper is a review paper that draws its information from other
studies. It covers both terrestrial and marine environments. It also talks about
biomagnification, which is important for the topic of seabirds.
Young LC, Vanderlip C, Duffy DC, Afanasyev V, Shaffer SA (2009) Bringing home the
trash: Do colony-based differences in foraging distribution lead to increased plastic
ingestion in laysan albatrosses?PLoS ONE 4(10)
This article is about plastic ingestion among Laysan albatrosses. Marine plastics
can inhibit the optimal foraging strategies practiced by Laysan albatrosses. This leads to
poor diets, with a large amount of ingested plastics. Geolocators were used to monitor
breeding adult albatross from different islands (Kure Atoll and Oahu) for two years and
the regurgitation of the albatrosses chicks were collected for analysis. Chicks from Kure
atoll were found to have higher amounts of ingested plastic in them (about ten times that
of Oahu). This study also suggested that adult albatrosses from Kure Atoll had a foraging
area that was limited to areas around the Western Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean.
This article was very helpful in explaining how seabirds can ingest plastics. It also
highlights a major source of plastic that is found in the ocean.
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