The Chinese torpedo reeled in by a Vietnamese fisherman this week was a training torpedo lost during a naval exercise earlier this month, the Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.On Tuesday, local fisherman Tran Minh Thanh spotted the object about 6.5 kilometers off the coast of Phu Yen, a province in south central Vietnam. Tran towed the torpedo to a beach in Tuy An District and turned it in to authorities, local news reported.China's Defense Ministry said in an online statement on Friday that the torpedo was lost during an exercise by the People's Liberation Army Navy near the eastern waters of Hainan island early this month, and it was probably carried by currents to Vietnamese waters.The torpedo is a regular training dummy, it said.The cigar-shaped metal object measures 6.8 meters long and around 54 centimeters in diameter, with propellers at its tail and Chinese characters written on its body, according to Vietnamese media reports.A military expert, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the training torpedo is used to simulate real launch scenarios and has all the key components of a functional torpedo except for the live warhead.It does not carry explosives, so there's no threat of detonation, he said. silicone wristbandsplain rubber wristbandsnew rubber band braceletsbracelets with sayings customizesilicone bracelet watch
Tiny pieces of plastics are found in nearly half of tap water at homes in Taiwan. [Photo/VCG] A Taiwan survey found health-threatening microplastics in nearly half of the tap water in homes, according to Taiwan media. Findings of the survey -- which focused on microplastic pollution in tap water, seawater, beach sand and shells -- were published by Taiwan environmental authority on Wednesday. It revealed that 61 percent of unprocessed water in water purification plants contains microplastic fibers, which were discovered in 44 percent of household tap water. The survey shows an average of 0.75 microplastic fibers, mainly polyethylene and nylon, are contained in each liter of clean tap water. Microplastics. [Photo/VCG] Through researching seven marine farms and two beaches, the survey discovered up to nearly 20,000 microplastics in every 1,000 liters of seawater and up to 2,400 microplastics in each kilogram of beach sand. Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than 5 millimeters long, the size of a rice grain. They are created from the degradation of larger plastic products, such as plastic bags and bottles, once they enter the natural environment through the weathering process. To fight plastic pollution, Taiwan plans to ban the use of disposable plastic straws in public places, such as shopping centers and restaurants, from July 2019. A graphic shows the pollution of microplastic fibers in tap water around the world. [Guardian] Globally, more than 300 million tons of plastics are produced each year, 90 percent of which are thrown away after use. Only around 70 percent of plastic waste can be recycled, while the rest ends up in the environment, leaving potential sources of microplastic pollution. Though research on the health risks from microplastics is still in its infancy, these tiny pieces are believed to be able to pick up harmful bacteria while passing through wastewater plants and possibly infect humans after being ingested. Another risk is that plastics have a number of chemicals added at the manufacturing stage, and it is possible that these are released in the body, according to a report by CNN.
