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This information is accompanied by a map extracted from a study published in 2017 and which is attributed to one of the authors of the investigation. However, this study actually claims that these 10 rivers They are the source of between 88 and 95% of transported plastic waste by rivers to oceans, but does not hold them responsible for the global amount of plastic present in our oceans. The claim is based on a 2017 study published under the title “Export of plastic waste by rivers to the sea” by Christian Schmidt (et al) from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), in Germany. ![\\"Videos](\\"\\") Videos and images out of context: the hoaxes of the conflict between Israel, Lebanon and other countries in the region Many media outlets reported on that research indicating that around 90% of plastic waste in the world's oceans They seem to come from 10 rivers. Some publications have already corrected their stories to clarify that the study concerned transported waste by the river and not to all the plastic load that pollutes the oceans. ### What the study says What Schmidt's study concluded is that between 88 and 95% of plastic transported by 1,350 major rivers around the world, to which scientists call river waste, it comes from only 10 rivers, all of them which are found in Asia and Africa. The study does not attempt to compare the plastic waste transported by rivers with plastic waste totals in seas and oceans. From Newtral we contacted Schmidt, author of the research, who explains that the estimate in the study was not for total plastic waste in the ocean: "Does not include all other sources that exist. In addition, the map that is being shared with the title "95% of plastic that pollutes the oceans comes from only 10 rivers" citing the study by Schmidt was not included in the investigation either, explains its author to this medium, which is why it was developed later. ![\\"Janette](\\"\\") Spiering, creator of 'neighborhoods' for people with Alzheimer's: “We provide homes and freedom, not a hospital, because they don't know they are sick." ### How does confusion arise? The confusion appears to stem from a press release about the study, published on October 17, 2017 on the UFZ website, which claimed that the researchers "have also calculated that there are ten systems rivers with the highest plastic loads (eight of them are in Asia and two in Africa), areas where hundreds of millions of people live, in some cases, and are responsible for around 90% of the global entry of plastic to the sea. Phrase that gave rise to error. Schmidt has also acknowledged that a section of his article that refers to that "these 10 rivers transport 88-95% of the global cargo to the sea" could be misunderstood at first glance: "It is often written that 90% of all Land plastic that ends up in the ocean comes from ten rivers. and this is not it's true". ### How much plastic that pollutes oceans comes from rivers? Schmidt's study estimated the amount of plastic waste in 1,350 rivers from around the world, based on several previous studies of those rivers. HE They included rivers of all sizes, "from small streams of the first order even great rivers that flow into the sea. Schmidt and his colleagues analyzed how polluted rivers contributed to the total plastic load transported to oceans around the world. Laurent Lebreton, a researcher specialized in marine pollution, explained in a 2017 study, cited by Schmidt in his research, that Other major sources of plastic in the oceans include garbage from beaches and discharge from the shipping and fishing industry. Yes indeed, Lebreton's most recent study, in 2019, does suggest that "rivers are main routes for plastic garbage to the ocean", although this does not Allows you to say what is being shared in the fake. This same "meme" with the same statement has appeared in other languages. By example, in English, to criticize the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. In this case, it was denied by our AFP colleagues here. Sources: * Christian Schmidt, from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) * Export of plastic waste through rivers to the sea * Hoaxes * Science * This is our work methodology. After the verification process, and based on the data, we award one of these categories: * ![\\"Misleading\\"](\\"\\") Misleading The content contains correct data, but ignores very important elements or is mixed with incorrect data giving a different, inaccurate or false * ![\\"Fake\\"](\\"\\") Fake The content is false ![\\"\\"](\\" content/themes/newtral/dist/assets/images/fondo-cards-1200x672.png?x95607\\") ![\\"Share\\"](\\" content/themes/newtral/dist/assets/images/icons/share.png?x95607\\") > 95% of the plastic that pollutes the oceans comes from just 10 rivers > 95% of the plastic that pollutes the oceans comes from just 10... ![\\"Share\\"](\\" content/themes/newtral/dist/assets/images/icons/share.png?x95607\\") ![\\"Misleading\\"](\\" check-misleading.svg?x95607\\") Misleading ![\\"\\"](\\"\\"/) ![\\"WhatsApp\\"](\\"\\"/) WhatsApp ![\\"Facebook\\"](\\"\\"/) Facebook ![\\"Twitter\\"](\\"\\"/) Twitter ![\\"Meneame\\"](\\"\\"/) Wiggle me ![\\"Mail](\\"\\"/) Email ![\\"Link](\\"\\"/) Direct linkCopy * Fakes * Fact-check Following * Start * Legal notice * Privacy * Cookies * Contact * Twitter *Facebook * Instagram * YouTube *Telegram
95 of the plastic that pollutes the oceans comes from just 10 rivers