June 6, 2025 

A Sea of Plastic: Greek Research Uncovers Widespread Microplastic Contamination

Interview with Econews – SKAI:

Microplastic pollution in the seas based on open sea research and laboratory analysis of the Archipelago Institute that aims to determine the extent of plastic and microplastic pollution in Greek seas.

After the collection and analysis of >30,000 samples and 15 scientific publications, the findings of the Archipelago Institute that has been investigating plastic pollution in the Greek seas since 2009 are extremely worrying.

We have found that fragments and fibers of plastic waste exposed to the environment have already entered all levels of our seas ecosystems and food chain. In fact, the extent of microplastic pollution was equivalent in remote areas (p. χ. small uninhabited islands of the Aegean), in relation to the coasts of Attica.

Microplastics did not come from heaven, they come from plastics that we overconsume, plastics that we do not manage in a country without infrastructure, plastics that are scattered in the environment as a result of the management that each of us does (or does not) do, with great responsibility of course the local government that is responsible on waste management in Greece.

The bottom line is not that we should stop consuming fish and seafood, as well as other foods, but also bottled water contains micro- and nano-plastics at corresponding levels.

What we need to realize is that plastic is a dangerous material. Through the plastic packaging that enclose food and water, chemicals contained in the plastic are inserted into them. When plastic breaks down exposed to the environment it inevitably enters the food chain on land and sea.

Even with decades of delay we must treat it as a toxic material that uses special management.