30.04.2018
Sopot Science Day entitled Sea you without plastic!
The event is organized with the support of the President of Sopot and will take place on 26 May 2018 between 10:00 and 15:00 at the Square of the Friends of Sopot.
Every year, vast amounts of plastic waste enters our oceans and creates a serious threat to marine environments. Cleaning these ecosystems is a very difficult but extremely important task for us all. That’s why we want to discuss this problem with you and show you what each of us can do in order to minimize the amount of plastic waste that enters the environment.
We will present the current state of knowledge about the Baltic ecosystem. We will conduct interactive demonstrations of filtering suspended matter from sea water and will discuss its importance in the marine ecosystem with regard to the problem of the presence of plastics in sea water.
There will be an aquarium with live Baltic organisms so that you can get acquainted with the various types of Baltic flora and fauna.
We will demonstrate the impact of plastic-based substances on the digestive tract of marine crustaceans and exhibit histological samples of gonads of fish exposed to estrogens.
Participants will be able to conduct an experiment in which they will perform the mechanical degradation of plastic packaging and see how plastic microparticles are created in nature. We will also present a method of producing a biodegradable material that resembles plastic.
With the help of simple experiments, we will show you how to distinguish various types of plastics and provide information on their properties and how you should deal with them to avoid health hazards. We will also show you how to recognize microplastics in cosmetics and how to easily substitute them for natural replacements.
We will talk about recycling, showing you how to give new life to your daily plastic waste by transforming it into toys or items you can use around the house or in the garden. We will also display projects prepared by students from our local schools.
A contaminated natural environment and excessive sunbathing may be adverse to our health. That’s why participants will be able to test their blood for lipids and check their blood pressure. You will also have an opportunity to learn first aid techniques.
All our activities will be interactive, there will be many games and puzzles and two educational trips to the beach (at 11:00 and 13:00) to observe and collect plastic waste from the beach. Sea you on 26 May in Sopot!
