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Several beach cleaning operations took place during the weekend, on the occasion of the Ocean Initiatives. In particular, microbeads were found there. Although several legal proceedings have been initiated, the polluters remain difficult to identify.
Microbead pollution invaded the beaches of the coast several months ago. An ecological disaster, because these balls, derived from petrochemicals, take a very long time to degrade. Ingested by marine animals, they can be a danger to species. The phenomenon appeared for the first time at the end of 2022, in Finistère, before affecting the sides of Morbihan, Loire-Atlantique and Vendée. They are now at the heart of an unprecedented investigation in France.
Little hope for the research brigade
In a research laboratory in Brest (Finistère), ten samples were analyzed. A machine makes it possible to know the exact composition of the material, to try to find the culprit. At the research brigade at the maritime gendarmerie of Lorient (Morbihan), the file is very meager. “We will probably never be certain about the origin of this phenomenon.“, recognizes the Marshal of Logis-Chef Jean-Marc. Two hypotheses are posed by the investigators: the accidental loss of a container at sea, or the pollution of a watercourse linked to a leak in a production plant .
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