Photos of Earth taken from outer space usually show the beautiful blue and green planet against a field of black — perhaps its most idyllic setting.
In contrast, scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena are zeroing in on a not-so-pretty scene: plastic pollution.
The agency said in a news release that a special sensor housed on the International Space Station has the potential to track plastic waste floating in the ocean. The goal is to better understand how it travels and to develop ways to prevent its growth.
“Humans have a visceral connection to the ocean and its health,” Kelsey Bisson, a program manager at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., said.
Plastic pollution is a huge problem on land and at sea. Research at the University of Leeds in England used artificial intelligence to estimate that humans produce about 57 million tons of waste each year, based on a 2020 analysis. If placed in a line, it’s enough junk to circle the world 1,500 times.
Much of the plastic ends up in oceans, forming infamous collections such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Plastic rocks found on Brazil’s Trindade Island are evidence that it’s impacting even Earth’s geology. Most plastics take centuries to degrade, leaving behind harmful microplastics for decades. The microscopic pieces have been found in animal feces, marine life, and human brains. Medical experts suspect that the pollution is causing organ damage and inflammation, but the full health repercussions are still being studied, according to Stanford Medicine.
NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation has already successfully tracked plastic pollution on land. The device is meant to identify compounds by analyzing patterns that are reflected in sunlight. Examining how airborne dust impacts atmospheric temperatures is a core goal, though a similar device found water on the moon in 2009. The ISS setup was installed in 2022, according to NASA.
“The same technology has now shown that it can find plastic compounds in landfills and large-scale structures like greenhouses,” JPL’s David Thompson said in the release.
The experts now intend to focus the AI-augmented eye on oceans in pursuit of floating plastic. The agency estimated that eight million tons of the waste enter Earth’s seas annually. But seawater absorbs infrared light, and complicates spectral images. In answer, NASA is cataloguing the spectral signatures, or “fingerprints,” of 25,000 types of floating waste.
The evidence load includes rope, tires, and bubble wrap, made from 19 types of polymers. Once registered, advanced computing can account for weathered plastic and waste newly introduced to the waters after a storm, the experts reported.
“My biggest hope is that people see remote sensing as an important and useful tool for marine debris monitoring,” intern Ashley Ohall, who is working to document the plastic, said. “Just because it hasn’t been done yet doesn’t mean it can’t be done.”
Prevention is key to reducing the future plastic waste burden, and it starts with using less of it when possible. Replacing throwaway grocery bags and water bottles with reusable items you already have often provides a better experience and can save you money in the long run.
At NASA, experts think that orbital, AI-enhanced sensors can be more effective than traditional analysis methods, such as collecting the waste with a net for examination.
“Detecting marine debris is the kind of incredible challenge that NASA can help solve,” Bisson said in the release.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club.