天美mv天美

天美mv天美 researchers have uncovered concerning fibreglass contamination in a key estuary on Vancouver Island, raising concerns about how an as-yet overlooked contaminant could affect aquatic birds, marine life and coastal communities that rely on shellfish and seafood.

A new 天美mv天美 study found fibreglass particles buried in the sediment and biofilm layers of the Cowichan Estuary, a 400-hectare intertidal ecosystem used by the Cowichan Tribes First Nations for generations. The areas is an internationally designated important bird area and used for harvesting clams, geoducks, crabs, waterfowl, cod roe, urchins and salmon.

鈥淔iberglass particles are silica鈥慴ased glass fibres, often reinforced with plastic, and we are just in the infancy of understanding their potential toxicity for animals and people,鈥� says Juan Jos茅 Alava, marine eco-toxicologist and lead author of the study. 

鈥淛ust knowing these particles are present in an estuary that supports shorebirds and shellfish 鈥� and is central to Indigenous food security 鈥� is enough to justify preventive, precautionary actions. We don鈥檛 have to wait until we know every toxic threshold to act.鈥�

Key findings

• Fiberglass particles detected at 96% of the sediment testing stations in 2023 (up from 64% in 2020)
• Sediment concentrations were highest near industrial activity and the log transport channel (6-286 particles per kilogram of dry sediment).
• Biofilm concentrations found at sites near the Western Forest Products mill pond, the Westcan Terminal, and a busy marina in Cowichan Bay Village (30鈥�62 particles per kilogram of dry weight).
• Elevated fibreglass levels near the Westcan Terminal suggest industrial activities and uncontrolled runoff contribute to contamination.
• Higher fiberglass concentrations in both biofilm and sediment found at marinas, slipways and boat maintenance areas where sanding, repairs and hull cleaning are common.

Published in Marine Pollution Bulletin,  of coastal fiberglass pollution in Canada, sampling a total of 26 sites in the Cowichan Estuary between 2020 and 2024. 

Working with the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA), researchers looked at the biofilm (the top three to five millimetres made up of a thin, fatty layer of algae and microorganisms that fuels migratory shorebirds) and the deeper sediment layer where clams, mussels and other sediment鈥慸welling invertebrates live and feed. 

They found fibreglass particles at several of the surface biofilm testing sites and 96 per cent of the sediment testing sites. Researchers say this is because fibreglass is heavier or denser than saltwater, so it tends to settle and build up in those deeper intertidal sediment zone layers.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 yet know what levels of fiberglass exposure cause harm, how readily different species can eliminate the particles, or whether they bioaccumulate through the food web,鈥� explains Alava. 

鈥淣ow that we know it鈥檚 in the sediments and biofilms of a working estuary, we need to understand how far it goes into wildlife, marine life, and into people, including the local First Nations who rely on shellfish and seafood.鈥�

鈥淧revention is better than cure鈥�

In addition to coastal industrial sites, the study found abandoned and deteriorating boats and marine infrastructure are a persistent, unmanaged source of micro鈥慺iberglass, like the way derelict vessels contribute to microplastic pollution.

Boat hulls and other marine infrastructure often use fibreglass-reinforced plastic 鈥� fine glass fibres embedded in plastic resins. As boats are sanded, repaired, abandoned or left to decay, those fibres break down into tiny, needle鈥憀ike fragments, Alava explains. 

鈥淔iberglass is durable and very slow to break down, especially if it鈥檚 reinforced with plastic. Our data serves as evidence for immediate management actions and policy,鈥� he says. 鈥淧revention is better than cure.鈥� 

The study recommends: 

• Tighter controls on slipways and boat yards to reduce sanding and cutting debris entering surrounding waters.
• Stronger regulations and best management practices for end鈥憃f鈥憀ife boats, including recycling and safe dismantling requirements for fiberglass hulls.
• Improved stormwater and industrial runoff management at marine and coastal industrial sites.
• Investment in more environmentally friendly materials and 鈥済reen chemistry鈥� alternatives that reduce long鈥憈erm ecological harm.