Istanbul: Concerning levels of microplastic pollution from cigarette butts

A Turkish study reveals worrying levels of microplastic pollution from cigarette butts on Istanbul's coastline. Led by Nuket Sivri of Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, the research sheds light on the environmental impact of this toxic waste.

Led by Nuket Sivri, a professor at Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa's Department of Environmental Engineering, the study aimed to assess the amount of plastic emitted from cigarette butts into Istanbul's terrestrial and aquatic environments. A 1-centimeter cigarette butt contains between 15,000 and 17,600 microplastic fiber particles.[1] And researchers found up to 35 cigarette butts per square meter.

Filters, the cause of major plastic pollution

A microplastic is a plastic particle that is less than 5 mm in size. It is a waste that can be found in our oceans, coastlines and can be ingested by fish, marine mammals and also seabirds. Microplastics are also present in rivers and lakes, where they can contaminate freshwater fish. Thus, the absorption of microplastics by animals is harmful to their organism. These particles can have endocrine disrupting effects and harm reproduction.[2] Microplastics pose a proven danger to the health of all living beings.

In the Turkish study, researchers collected samples from four different coastal areas in Istanbul and terrestrial samples from the Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa campus area. The results showed that a 1-centimeter cigarette butt with a fibrous structure contains between 15,000 and 17,600 particles.

The research team found higher results of the number of cigarette butts thrown on the ground per square meter compared to studies conducted in Europe. On the Turkish coast, researchers recovered up to 35 cigarette butts per square meter. In some land areas, the number of cigarette butts found was even higher, reaching up to 116 cigarette butts per square meter.

The release of microplastics from cigarette butts is significantly higher than that from plastic bags due to the toxic materials and chemicals they contain. In the study, the filter of a cigarette butt could release more than 15,000 microplastic fibres, while a commonly used plastic bag releases 100.[3]Added to this is the fact that cigarette butts not only contain these plastic fibres but also constitute particularly toxic waste for the environment.

Towards a possible global ban on filters?

Cigarette filters are the largest form of plastic waste in the world – 4.5 trillion of the 5.5 trillion produced each year are thrown into the environment. This is why filters have become a major issue in the plastics treaty, currently under global negotiations. Banning cigarette filters and including new tobacco and nicotine products are the main objectives of the anti-tobacco and environmental protection organizations grouped together in the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance. The latter is calling for the future treaty to include avoidable pollution from tobacco products. Cigarette filters are indeed a problematic, avoidable single-use plastic waste that corresponds precisely to the products to be banned under this treaty. At the previous round of negotiations held in Canada last April, several countries proposed banning cigarette filters, including Peru, Panama and Switzerland.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also supports this immediate ban on cigarette filters of any kind, as the concept of biodegradable filters does not exist in real-world conditions. It also recalled that reducing the emission of this waste requires a significant reduction in the consumption of tobacco products and that the participation of civil society is essential to achieve the objectives of the treaty. Finally, in line with the commitment of countries under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control treaty, the organizations recalled the need for representatives of the tobacco industry and other private actors with an inherent conflict of interest not to be represented as "stakeholders" in the negotiations.[4]

©Tobacco Free Generation

D.T.

[1] Seda Sevencan, Study finds alarming levels of microplastic pollution from cigarette butts on Istanbul's shores, Anadolu Agency, published on May 31, 2024, accessed on June 7, 2024

[2] Marie-Celine Ray, Microplastic: what is it?, published on September 13, 2020, consulted on June 10, 2024

[3]Frontiers.org, The unignorable ecological impact of cigarette butts in the ocean: an underestimated and under-researched concern, published September 22, 2023, accessed June 10, 2024

[4] Generation without tobacco, Banning the filter is the only way to reduce pollution linked to cigarette butts, GST, published March 6, 2023, accessed June 7, 2024