The beauty of Brazil's volcanic island of Trinidad has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks with plastic debris in this "remote paradise" for turtles is cause for concern.
Dissolved plastic is an integral part of the rocks on the island, which is located 1.140 kilometers from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, and this, scientists say, is evidence of the increasing influence of humans on the Earth's geological cycles.
"It is new and at the same time terrible because pollution has entered the sphere of geology," says Fernanda Avelar Santos, a geologist at the Federal University of Paraná.
Santos and her team conducted chemical tests to find out what plastic was in the rocks, which are called "plastiglomerates" because they are made of a mixture of sediment granules and other debris held together by plastic.
The discovery of rocks made from plastic in Brazil's volcanic Trindade Island is sparking alarm.
'This is new and terrifying at the same time,' said Fernanda Avelar Santos, a geologist at the Federal University of Parana https://t.co/IVGrG3X9Je 1/5 pic.twitter.com/e2OfiLSxXH
- Reuters (@Reuters) March 15, 2023
"We found pollution mainly from fishing nets, which is a very common waste on the beaches of Trinidad Island," Santos said. "Sea currents pull them in and they accumulate on the beach. When the temperature rises, this plastic melts and becomes embedded in the natural material of the beach.
Trinidad Island is one of the most important protected areas in the world for green turtles, where thousands come every year to lay their eggs. The only people on Trinidad are members of the Brazilian Navy, which has a base on the island and protects the nesting turtles.
The latest discovery on Brazil's Trindade Island, a remote turtle refuge, has terrified scientists: Melted plastic has become intertwined with rocks on the island, proof of mankind's growing influence over earth's geological cycles https://t.co/Rtxtl0uizA pic.twitter.com/zYvM88hQsO
- Reuters (@Reuters) March 16, 2023
"The place where we found these plastic samples is a permanently protected area in Brazil, close to where green turtles lay their eggs," Santos said.
The discovery raises questions about the human legacy on Earth, Santos says. "We talk so much about the Anthropocene and this is it," Santos said, referring to a proposed geological epoch defined by the impact of humans on the planet's geology and ecosystems.
"Pollution, marine debris and plastic dumped into the oceans become geological material preserved in the Earth's geological record.