World Earth Day: Plastic pollution endangering China's third largest river

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04:15

New research shows that up to 95 percent of plastic polluting the world's oceans pours in from just ten rivers. And southern China's Pearl River is one of the culprits. Our reporter Ge Yunfei in Guangdong Province followed several people working on plastic pollution there to find out more.

Guangzhou, a city lined with many scenic waterways, namely the Pearl River. It's China's third largest river, and has been running through the city for 2,000 years. But something gravely endangers the 20 million people living in the city, plastics.

Huang Mingzhi is a local scholar studying water pollution. To explain how serious the plastic problem is, he fills this bottle with water from an area river, and has it tested.

PROF. HUANG MINGZHI ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE SOUTH CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY "According to our study, there are over 600 micro particles of plastic per milliliter in city rivers.There's about 8 million tons of plastic waste flowing into the sea every year. The Pearl River contributes over 100 thousand tons."

This is one tributary of the Pearl River, some 70 kilometers outside downtown Guangzhou. The river bank is covered with plastic bags, boxes, and bottles. A group of volunteers is walking upstream to find out where the plastic comes from. Gao Yijian and his organization have been tracking the local water pollution issue for over 10 years.

GAO YIJIAN, DIRECTOR GUANGZHOU ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ORGANIZATION "We used to try to collect plastics. Now some companies are doing their part to clean up some of the plastic waste. But there's just too much of it."

GE YUNFEI GUANGDONG PROVINCE "Are those all from the upstream region?"

GAO YIJIAN, DIRECTOR GUANGZHOU ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ORGANIZATION "Yes, they all come from upstream. Especially during the flood season, the river banks will be covered in plastics. Relying on just one or two NGOs will not solve the problem. You have to raise awareness and encourage everyone to do their part."

Not far away from the river banks is the small town. At noon each day, hungry students and workers buy lunch from local street vendors. Porridge, drinks, and meals are packed in plastics and sold. And much of the waste ends up in waters like this. The river here also has a stench. Gao Yijian also decided to take a test of water-quality here.

GAO YIJIAN, DIRECTOR GUANGZHOU ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ORGANIZATION "This indicates the level of ammonia nitrogen which usually comes from such waste. This green color has already surpassed the highest pollution level on this card. It's definitely the worst quality."

Apparently, nobody would eat a wasted plastic bag. But Huang says what's more dangerous is the microplastic particles already commonly seen in tap water.

PROF. HUANG MINGZHI ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE SOUTH CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY "When microplastic particles are absorbed by the human body, they settle in organs like the liver, stomach and intestines. Plastics are very hard to digest. So consuming them will cause long-term damage to peoples' digestive and immune system."

Gao and his team have been organizing various activities to remind people of the danger of plastic waste.

SHI YUCHAO VOLUNTEER "The local government has done a lot to improve the water quality, but residents along the river can do so much more, like putting an end to littering."

He hopes one day that the government and residents can work together to establish a well-functioning plastic recycling system. Ge Yunfei, CGTN, along the Pearl River in Guangdong Province.