Microplastic Contamination and Ports

Microplastic Concentration by Port
Polymer Fragments in Sediment
PortParticles/m² (2025)% Change (2022-2025)
Busan2,800+34%
Singapore2,600+32%
Los Angeles2,150+29%
Tema2,400+31%

Global South Ports and Estuarine Impact

AI Cargo Growth vs. Waste Investment
Synthetic Fiber Load in Shellfish
Port/RegionAI Cargo Growth (2020-2025)Waste Investment (% of need)
Ghana3.1×17%
Sri Lanka2.9×15%
Vietnam3.4×19%
EstuarySynthetic Fiber Load (vs. WHO)
Chennai1.6×
Lagos2.2×

Sediment Studies and Biological Impact

Microplastic Accumulation
Coral/Fish Plastic Ingestion
ZoneMicroplastic Increase (2021-2025)
Gulf of Aqaba2.2×
Singapore Strait2.1×
Red Sea reefs (fish ingestion)+71%
Tubbataha parrotfish70% w/ fibers

Mitigation and Design Innovation

Cooling/Heat Reuse Adoption
Hardware Reuse and E-Waste Recycling
Tech2025 Adoption
Immersion cooling (AI DCs)14%
Closed-loop seawater cooling6%
District heating reuse18%
Server refurbishment (Japan/UK)8-10 yr lifespan
Global AI e-waste recycled18%
Data: International Marine Debris Observatory, UNEP, Coral Triangle Initiative, UNCTAD, peer-reviewed studies, June 2025.[1]

Microplastics, Logistics, and Oceanic Contamination