Volume 116 Number 5/6
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South African Journal of Science volume 116 number 5/6 Marine plastic debris in South Africa: From sources to solutions Marama: A climate change friendly crop for southern Africa First findings of lead isotopes as palaeodietary indicators in the Western Cape Medical geology and its relevance in Africa Governance of gene editing in South Africa Volume 116 Number 5/6 May/June 2020 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jane Carruthers Academy of Science of South Africa MANAGING EDITOR Linda Fick Academy of Science of South Africa South African ONLINE PUBLISHING Journal of Science SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Nadia Grobler Academy of Science of South Africa ASSOCIATE EDITORS Margaret Avery Cenozoic Studies, Iziko Museums of South Africa, South Africa eISSN: 1996-7489 Priscilla Baker Department of Chemistry, University Guest Leader of the Western Cape, South Africa Are there gaps in our understanding of marine plastic pollution? Pascal Bessong Linda Godfrey ........................................................................................................................ 1 HIV/AIDS & Global Health Research Programme, University of Venda, South Africa News & Views Governance of gene editing in South Africa: Towards addressing the Jennifer Case ethico-legal hiatus Department of Engineering Education, Virginia Tech, Ames Dhai, Glenda Gray, Martin Veller & Daynia Ballot ........................................................... 2 Blacksburg, VA, USA Obituary Teresa Coutinho Department of Microbiology and Remembering Rein Arndt, 1929–2020 Plant Pathology, University of Marina Joubert, Helgard Raubenheimer & Roy Siegfried ......................................................... 5 Pretoria, South Africa Maarten de Wit 1947–2020: An appreciation Tania Douglas Peter Vale ............................................................................................................................... 7 Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa Opinion Bettine van Vuuren A philosophical perspective on pulmonary hypertension: What is ‘rare’? Department of Zoology, Centre Gerald J. Maarman ................................................................................................................. 8 for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Book Review Uniting botanical science and art Amanda Weltman Brian W. van Wilgen ................................................................................................................ 9 Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Not the peace train but the piece train Cape Town, South Africa Bill Nasson ........................................................................................................................... 10 Yali Woyessa ‘Meet people where they are’: An approach to opioids and harm reduction in Department of Civil Engineering, Central University of Technology, South Africa South Africa Danielle A. Millar & Caradee Y. Wright ................................................................................... 11 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Commentary MENTEES Ntombizodwa Mathe Why are black South African students less likely to consider studying National Laser Centre, CSIR, biological sciences? South Africa Nicoli Nattrass ...................................................................................................................... 12 Salmina Mokgehle Medical Geology and its relevance in Africa Vegetable and Ornamental Plants, Hassina Mouri ....................................................................................................................... 14 Agricultural Research Council, South Africa Marine Plastic Debris: News and Views EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Laura Czerniewicz South African Initiative to End Plastic Pollution in the Environment Centre for Higher Education Anton Hanekom .................................................................................................................... 16 Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa A circular economy response to plastic pollution: Current policy landscape and consumer perception Hassina Mouri Lorren de Kock, Zaynab Sadan, Reinhardt Arp & Prabhat Upadhyaya ..................................... 18 Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, The African Marine Waste Network and its aim to achieve ‘Zero Plastics to the South Africa Seas of Africa’ Danica Marlin & Anthony J. Ribbink ....................................................................................... 20 Johann Mouton Centre for Research on Science and Technology, Stellenbosch University, Marine Plastic Debris: Commentary South Africa Framing the plastic pollution problem within the water quality–health nexus: Current understandings and policy recommendations Sershen Naidoo School of Life Sciences, University of Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa & Nonhlanhla Kalebaila ...................................................................... 22 KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Marine Plastic Debris: Review Article Maano Ramutsindela Department of Environmental & Land-based sources and pathways of marine plastics in a South African context Geographical Science, University of Carina Verster & Hindrik Bouwman ........................................................................................ 25 Cape Town, South Africa The transport and fate of marine plastics in South Africa and adjacent oceans Himla Soodyall Peter G. Ryan ........................................................................................................................ 34 Academy of Science of South Africa Impacts of plastic debris on biota and implications for human health: Published by A South African perspective the Academy of Science of Trishan Naidoo, Anusha Rajkaran & Sershen ......................................................................... 43 South Africa (www.assaf.org.za) with financial assistance from the Impacts of marine plastic on ecosystem services and economy: State of Department of Science & Technology. South African research Sumaiya Arabi & Anton Nahman ............................................................................................ 51 Design and layout SUN MeDIA Bloemfontein Monitoring marine plastics – will we know if we are making a difference? T: 051 444 2552 Peter G. Ryan, Lorien Pichegru, Vonica Perold & Coleen L. Moloney ...................................... 58 E: [email protected] Correspondence and Review Article enquiries Forensic entomology research and application in southern Africa: [email protected] A scoping review Danisile Tembe & Samson Mukaratirwa.................................................................................. 67 Copyright All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence. Research Article Copyright is retained by the authors. Updated lower limb stature estimation equations for a South African Disclaimer population group The publisher and editors accept no Mubarak A. Bidmos & Desiré Brits ......................................................................................... 75 responsibility for statements made by the authors. Large mammal exploitation during the c. 14–11 ka Oakhurst techno-complex at Klipdrift Cave, South Africa Submissions Emmanuel Discamps, Christopher S. Henshilwood & Karen L. van Niekerk ............................ 82 Submissions should be made at www.sajs.co.za Lead and strontium isotopes as palaeodietary indicators in the Western Cape of South Africa Mari Scott, Petrus le Roux, Judith Sealy & Robyn Pickering ................................................... 89 Proximate and starch composition of marama (Tylosema esculentum) storage roots during an annual growth period Maria H. Hamunyela, Emmanuel Nepolo & Mohammad N. Emmambux.................................. 97 Cover caption Plastic waste on a South African beach. A series of reviews in this issue provides the latest information on the sources, pathways, impacts and monitoring of marine plastic debris in South Africa. Photo: Douw Steyn, PlasticsSA. Are there gaps in our understanding of marine plastic pollution? Guest Editor Professor Linda Godfrey is Manager of South Africa’s Waste RDI Roadmap Implementation Unit, under which the suite of Marine Plastic Debris papers was prepared. Prof. Godfrey has a PhD in Engineering and an interest in waste management in developing countries, including the opportunities of ‘waste’ within a circular economy context. EMAIL: [email protected] The leakage of waste plastic into the environment, especially the marine humans, and associated impacts on human health, remain unknown. Given environment, has become an issue of global concern. In response, the economic importance of South Africa’s fishing industry, further research governments have implemented various measures from plastic product on the effects of plastic on commercial species of fish and invertebrates, bans1, requirements for greater producer responsibility and product including species processed to fish meal, is recommended. As noted by design, to ambitious new recycling targets2-4. Given the emotive nature the authors: ‘This gap must be filled in order to make predictive decisions in of this topic, scientific evidence is crucial to assess the magnitude of regard to safety for consumption.’ Given the limited R&D funding available the threat posed by marine plastic; to inform public and private sector in South Africa, we need to decide what research we should undertake responses; and to monitor the effectiveness of these