Approximately a billion tiny plastic nurdles have entered the River Tyne after a “devastating spill”, with the pellets thought to have spread much further than first thought.
Nurdles, which are usually 1mm-5mm in size, act as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products.
On Sunday, the Wind Orca ship collided with the berthed container ship BG Orange at the Port of Tyne, causing damage to a dockside crane and injuring one person.
The collision caused up to 25 tonnes of nurdles – about a billion in total, according to environmental charity Fidra – to enter the water, said South Tyneside council.
After nurdles were found washed up on South Shields beach, the council warned residents to avoid handling the pellets and to keep dogs on leads. The pellets themselves are not toxic. But once in the environment, they are almost impossible to remove and can absorb toxins present in the water.
Animals can easily mistake the nurdles for food. They have been found in the stomachs and digestive tracts of a variety of species, from seabirds in the North Sea and Australia to green turtles and fish off the coasts of Brazil.
The spill is less than 3 miles (4.8km) away from Marsden Bay, which is home to one of England’s most important seabird colonies.
The tiny plastic pellets act as the raw material in the manufacture of most plastic products. Photograph: Alistair Leadbetter
One person who lives locally, Alistair Leadbetter, told the Guardian he was “really shocked” at how many nurdles he saw and said they covered the whole stretch of the South Shields beach. He said he saw children playing on the beach among the pellets.
Once nurdles are lost to the environment they can easily be washed, swept or blown vast distances and can accumulate on beaches worldwide. Last year, Fidra found plastic nurdles at 84% of UK sites of special scientific interest.
Fidra’s nurdle map, which tracks global nurdle pollution, indicates the pellets may have already spread much further than first thought, with sightings reported as far south as Sunderland, about 7 miles from South Shields.
HM Coastguard said it is supporting local authorities in the initial response to the pollution along the North Tyneside coastline, including at Tynemouth Longsands, Cullercoats and King Edward’s Bay.
Heather McFarlane, senior project manager at Fidra, said it is “devastating to see another plastic pellet spill”. She said most pellet pollution can be prevented with simple measures such as better packaging and safer stowage.
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Environmental campaigners have called for stronger regulation on pollution after the incident in South Shields. Photograph: Alistair Leadbetter
“We urgently need stronger UK regulation to prevent pollution on land and mandatory measures at sea to stop spills like this in the future,” McFarlane said.
A spokesperson for South Tyneside council said it is now assessing the extent of the contamination and supporting efforts to remove pellets from affected areas where appropriate. “The council will look to recover the costs of the clean-up from the insurers of those responsible,” they said.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said its officers are “working with local authorities and other partners, providing expert advice to support in the early stages of the clean-up operation”.
A spokesperson for the Port of Tyne said: “Our response plan was activated immediately we became aware of the extent of the spill. It involves a number of actions, including helping contain any further spill of pellets and also getting boats out on the river as a matter of urgency to clear pellets from the water.”
The Guardian has contacted the owners of the Wind Orca for comment.
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