As an artist, my final outcomes don’t claim to be research. They do aim to frame my area of interest as part of the climate change narrative in an non scientific way while referencing some of the recent findings. At the same time, I value the opportunity to engage with members of the scientific community and to participate in field study trips with groups such as the Quekett Club.

My current area of exploration is microfibre plastic.  I’m interested in the plastic that ‘disappears’ from the waste stream by being broken down into smaller and smaller particles. The problem now is not only how to reduce production of plastic but how to manage what’s already there – recycling just moves the problem along.

One area of concern is the presence of micro plastics in the ocean and it’s ingestion by organisms right down to plankton at the bottom of the food chain. Clothes made from synthetics are one source of microfibre plastics found in rivers, lakes and oceans. Millions of microfibres are released every time we wash these materials.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39217985
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/microfibres-plastic-in-our-clothes
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jun/29/microfibers-plastic-pollution-apparel-oceans

On a recent field trip to Dale Fort on the  Pembrokeshire coast, I was interested to see what I could find on the shoreline and in the water. There is the usual larger plastic items which ultimately will break down.

Looking at plankton using 10x and 20x lens – so showing slightly bigger examples -indicated fibres from fishing netting and plastic rope as would be expected.