Esikhathini esingangonyaka esidlule, udaka lugeleza lusuka eKilauea volcano, i-burle, lwavala imigwaqo futhi lwageleza emasimini aseHawaii. Ekugcineni bafika olwandle, lapho udaka olushisayo lwahlangana khona namanzi olwandle abandayo lwaphahlazeka lwaba izingcezwana zengilazi nemfucumfucu, kwakheka isihlabathi.
Avela kanjena amabhishi amasha, njengePohoiki, ulwandle lwesihlabathi esimnyama olunwebeka ngamamitha angu-1000 eSiqhingini Esikhulu saseHawaii. Ososayensi abaphenya le ndawo abanaso isiqiniseko sokuthi ngabe ulwandle lwakhiwe ngokushesha ngemva kokuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo ngoMeyi 2018 noma lwakheka kancane njengoba udaka luqala ukuphola ngo-August, kodwa abakwazi ngokuqinisekile ngemva kokuhlola amasampula athathwe olwandle olusanda kuzalwa ukuthi ingcoliswe ngamakhulu ezingcezu ezincane zepulasitiki.
IPohoiki Beach iwubufakazi obengeziwe bokuthi ipulasitiki itholakala yonke indawo kulezi zinsuku, ngisho nasemabhishi abukeka ehlanzekile futhi ehlanzekile.
Izinhlayiya ze-Microplastic ngokuvamile zingaphansi kwamamilimitha amahlanu ngosayizi futhi azikho ngaphezu kohlamvu lwesihlabathi. Ngeso lenyama, ibhishi lasePohoiki libukeka lingathintwa.
“Kuyamangalisa,” kusho uNick Vanderzeel, umfundi waseNyuvesi yaseHawaii eHilo owathola upulasitiki ogwini lolwandle.
UVanderzeal wabona lolu lwandle njengethuba lokufunda amadiphozithi amasha okungenzeka ukuthi awathintwanga ithonya lomuntu. Uqoqe amasampula angu-12 ezindaweni ezahlukene ogwini. Esebenzisa ingxube ye-zinc chloride, eminyene kunepulasitiki futhi engaminyene kakhulu kunesihlabathi, wakwazi ukuhlukanisa izinhlayiya—ipulasitiki intanta iye phezulu kuyilapho isihlabathi sicwila.
Kwatholakala ukuthi, ngokwesilinganiso, kuwo wonke amagremu angu-50 esihlabathi, kunezicucu zepulasitiki ezingu-21. Iningi lalezi zinhlayiya zepulasitiki ama-microfibres, izinwele ezinhle ezikhishwa ezindwangu zokwenziwa ezivame ukusetshenziswa njenge-polyester noma inayiloni, kusho uVanderzeel. Zingena olwandle ngendle egezwe emishinini yokuwasha, noma zihlukaniswe nezingubo zabantu ababhukuda olwandle.
Umcwaningi uStephen Colbert, isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle kanye nomeluleki wezemfundo waseVanderzeal, uthi upulasitiki kungenzeka ukhukhulwe amagagasi bese ushiywa emabhishi, uhlanganiswe nezinhlamvu ezinhle zesihlabathi. Uma kuqhathaniswa namasampula athathwe kwamanye amabhishi amabili angomakhelwane angazange akhiwe izintaba-mlilo, i-Pohoiki Beach okwamanje inepulasitiki engaphansi ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezi-2.
U-Vanderzeel no-Colbert bahlela ukuhlale beqaphe isimo e-Pohoyki Beach ukuze babone ukuthi inani lepulasitiki elikulo liyenyuka yini noma alishintshile.
“Ngifisa sengathi ngabe asizange siwuthole lo pulasitiki,” kusho uColbert mayelana nama-microplastics kumasampula kaVanderzeal, “kodwa asimangalanga ngalokhu okutholiwe.”
“Kunombono onjalo wothando mayelana nolwandle olukude, oluhlanzekile futhi olungakathintwa,” kusho uColbert. “Ulwandle olufana nalolu alusekho.”
Amapulastiki, kuhlanganise nama-microplastic, aya ogwini lwamabhishi akude kakhulu emhlabeni okungekho muntu owake walunyathela.
Ososayensi bavame ukuqhathanisa isimo samanje solwandle nesobho lepulasitiki. Amaplastiki amancane atholakala yonke indawo kangangokuba kakade asenetha imvula evela esibhakabhakeni ezindaweni ezikude ezisezintabeni futhi agcine esesawutini sethu.
Namanje akukacaci ukuthi lokhu okweqile kwepulasitiki kuzophinde kuthinte kanjani imvelo yasolwandle, kodwa ososayensi basola ukuthi kungaba nemiphumela eyingozi ezilwaneni zasendle nempilo yabantu. Izikhathi ezingaphezu kwesisodwa, izilwane ezincelisayo ezinkulu zasolwandle ezinjengemikhomo ziye zageza ogwini zinezinqwaba zepulasitiki ezibilinini zazo. Muva nje, ososayensi bathole ukuthi izinhlanzi zigwinya izinhlayiya ze-microplastic ezinsukwini zokuqala zokuphila.
Ngokungafani nezinto ezinkulu zepulasitiki ezifana nezikhwama notshani ezingacoshwa zilahlwe kudoti, ama-microplastics maningi futhi awabonakali ngeso lenyama. Olunye ucwaningo lwakamuva luthole ukuthi izigidi zezingcezu zepulasitiki zisala emabhishi ngisho nangemva kokuhlanza.
Amaqembu ezokulondolozwa kwemvelo afana ne-Hawaiian Wildlife Foundation ahlanganyele namanyuvesi ukuze athuthukise abahlanzi basolwandle abasebenza njengendawo engenalutho, abamunca isihlabathi futhi bahlukanise amapulasitiki amancane. Kodwa isisindo nezindleko zemishini enjalo, kanye nomonakalo ewubangelayo ekuphileni okuncane kakhulu emabhishi, kusho ukuthi ingasetshenziswa kuphela ukuhlanza amabhishi angcoliswe kakhulu.
Nakuba i-Pohoiki isivele igcwele ipulasitiki, kusekude ukuba ihambe ngaphambi kokuthi ikwazi ukuncintisana nezindawo ezifana “nolwandle lukadoti” oludumile eHawaii.
UVanderzeel ulindele ukuphindela ePokhoiki ngonyaka ozayo ukuze abone ukuthi ulwandle luzoshintsha yini nokuthi luzoba luhlobo luni lwezinguquko, kodwa uColbert uthi ucwaningo lwakhe lwasekuqaleni seluvele lukhombisa ukuthi ukungcoliswa kolwandle manje kwenzeka ngokuphazima kweso.