An organization committed to safeguarding a river has labeled the release of one billion plastic pellets into it as a “major environmental crisis”.
The River Tyne was infiltrated by tons of minute beads, called nurdles, on 19 July following a collision between a ship and a shipping container in South Shields. Concerns have been raised by the Tyne Rivers Trust that the plastic contamination could persist for an extended period. This incident has been referred to as the most severe plastic pellet pollution event in Europe.
Sophia Stovall, the chief executive, expressed, “We have already observed fish with nurdles in their digestive tracts, and fishermen have also reported finding them during gutting in numerous cases.”
Prompt action was taken by the Port of Tyne to mitigate the impact after the spill, with an ongoing investigation by the Environment Agency.
It has been estimated that the billion plastic pellets entered the river in a mere five seconds after the container ruptured, triggering a cleanup led by specialized contractors and supported by numerous volunteers as the pellets began washing up on beaches across northeastern England.
The River Tyne, known for its salmon fishing and home to approximately 18 fish species, faces potential long-term issues due to the nurdle contamination, as highlighted by the charity.
According to Matt Beeton, the CEO of the Port, the plastic pellets spilled into the river within seconds of the collision.
The damaged container’s contents were only identified by the staff on Monday, July 20. Since then, the Port has treated the incident as a significant environmental emergency.
Mr. Beeton stated, “The initial response involved bringing in global experts to manage the river, remove the containers, and deploy a boom.”
However, due to a police cordon preventing staff access to the site, these actions could only be carried out the following day, on July 20, after the accident.
Mr. Beeton mentioned that the port alerted the local councils about the spill on the same day that they became aware of the nurdles falling into the river through CCTV footage.