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What happens when plastic reaches the forests and what does it have to do with monkeys?

When we talk about plastic pollution, we often refer to damage to marine animals. But it is also important to remember the habitats and wildlife on land. A great example of this is monkeys and other primates that live in forests. opinion

By Evelyn Anka, Zveta - Science and Environment News Agency

A long-tailed macaque with a plastic cup in Singapore. Almost everywhere there are people, there is also plastic. Photography: Amos Chua
A long-tailed macaque with a plastic cup in Singapore. Almost everywhere there are people, there is also plastic. Photography: Amos Chua

The first image most of us think of in the context of "plastic pollution" is of sea turtles and whales with stomachs full of plastic bags. However, in comparison to more than 8 million tons on average of plastic waste that reach the sea every year, The estimated amount accumulated on land 4 times larger, and possibly 23 times. The plastic is produced on land, and the use and treatment of plastic products at the end of their life is also mostly done on land. Therefore, we must not forget that the problem of plastic pollution is not limited only to the sea and beaches, but it is a global terrestrial problem that requires attention.

Far from the oceans, plastic pollution is also found in remote and remote places on land, such as The HimalayasAntarctica And the heart of the Amazon. Why should we care? Because the scale of the phenomenon is increasing and endangering different and diverse ecosystems that we all depend on. The plastics industry has A significant contribution For the emission of greenhouse gases and the acceleration of the climate crisis in every cycle of the product's life: from production and transportation to its decomposition in the environment. The accumulation of plastic in the ocean is harmful In the reproduction of the plankton, which is at the base of the marine food chain, and in the photosynthesis that many planktonic creatures carry out. In the process of photosynthesis, organisms absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen into the atmosphere; The plastic impairs the effectiveness of the plankton to fulfill its role in regulating the climate. Plastic in the soil and in the air may cause similar phenomena in the case of trees and other vegetation on land, which also play an important role in regulating the climate on Earth.

Most primates live in tropical forests, and although most are tree dwellers, the plastic has reached them as well. Lion-tailed Macaque in India. Photo: Janet Wallis
Most primates live in tropical forests, and although most are tree dwellers, the plastic has reached them as well. Lion-tailed Macaque in India. Photo: Janet Wallis

No primates and no forest

To better understand the problem of plastic pollution on land, I surveyed together with Janet Wallis from the Kasukwa-Kitido Forest Project in Uganda the effects of plastic pollution on primates and their habitats. The primates, which include monkeys, apes, apes, lemurs, lorises and galgoi, are considered the "gardeners of the forest" due to their important role in dispersing seeds and regenerating forests, and are essential for preserving forests and biodiversity. This is the group of large mammals that is at the highest risk of extinction, when the populations of More than 70 percent of species are declining. Most primates live in tropical forests, and although most are tree dwellers, the plastic has reached them as well.

The more the interaction between humans and primates increases and we penetrate their living areas, the more we bring with us our "favorite" material - plastic - because almost everywhere there are people, there is also plastic. Plastic waste reaches forests through the exploitation of natural resources (cutting down trees, oil drilling, road construction), tourism and research expeditions. It even spreads in the area as it flows long distances through rivers. Due to the distance from waste management infrastructure, in many local and tribal communities where humans live alongside primates and sometimes even hunt them, the residents are forced to rely on makeshift landfills and uncontrolled burning of waste. The plastic waste that remains in the environment breaks down into microplastic particles (particles smaller than 5 mm) that penetrate the ground, reach water sources and are even emitted into the air. In somewhat less remote places, travelers in the East can see macaques rummaging through waste or running around tourist sites and temples, alongside humans who sometimes feed them, which creates a dependency on human-sourced food that in many cases comes in plastic packaging.  

Plastic spreads disease

As in the sea, plastic on land can cause entanglement and physical harm to wild animals, reach their digestive system and even end in death, which also happens in Israel with Goats, birds, foxes and more. Unlike animals who mistakenly think that plastic is food, the intelligence and manual dexterity of primates allows them to explore and manipulate items of waste that may expose them even more to microplastics and the chemicals emitted from them, and even to diseases. As we remember from the Corona era, disease transmission can occur through surfaces, which is especially true in the case of plastic. Plastic may carry disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Due to its chemical properties, it is also Adsorbs pollutants from the environment. Because primates are so close to us biologically, they are usually susceptible to the same diseases. Microplastics have already been discovered in the stomachs of rhesus monkeys in Brazil and in the feces of macaque monkeys in Indonesia. While the presence of plastic in the human body has been linked to many health effects - From problems in the hormonal system to cancer - We still don't know how it affects wild animals in the long term, and in particular the primates that are biologically closest to us, and that are so important for the preservation of the rainforests.

The plastic pollution on land is an environmental crisis that we do not attach enough importance to. Most of the plastic we humans are exposed to is around us, on land. The plastic comes from the ground to the fruits and vegetables we eat, pollutes the streams and lakes, reaches the stomachs of wild animals, and harms the functioning of ecosystems and habitats - whether in the sea, desert, mountains or tropical forests. Therefore, it is important that we continue to research and understand in depth what happens to the environment when plastic manages to reach every place and corner. It is important that we notice the species it affects early enough to prevent the chain reaction that may follow. In addition to attention from researchers and decision makers, each and every one of us can start by asking ourselves, how did we reduce our plastic consumption today?

Evelyn Anke holds a Masters in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University. She is a multidisciplinary artist and co-director of the Plastic Free Israel association

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