Preliminary observations of the X-press pearl ship that caught fire have revealed that the most serious threat posed is plastic, said Dr Palitha Kithsiri, Director General of NARA.
A team of experts from his institute has been engaged in sea surveillance activities since yesterday.
“The most serious threat identified so far is small plastic pellets, a raw material used in plastic products.
Largely assembled on the sea surface and beach.
These are non-perishable substances that can adversely affect the marine environment including marine life. Therefore, he emphasizes that action should be taken to remove them physically.
The Navy has already taken steps to remove these to some extent.
The Director-General further said that a report is to be obtained today as to how much of these were stored in the containers stored on the ship.
“Not only has the shipwreck been extinguished, but signs of an oil spill have now subsided.
It has now been shown that nitric acid often dissolves in water and is converted into other compounds, minimizing its potential impact on the marine environment” he added.
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