Activity 3.3.3 – My Plastic Use

 A collage of every plastic I get in contact with in only one-day 

Definition of microplastics  

Microplastic are small pieces of plastic which size is less than 5 millimeters. Microplastics consist in a polymer chains of Carbon and Hydrogen bound together plus other chemicals typical of plastic material. They can be divided into Primary Microplastics and Secondary Microplastics. Primary Microplastic are small plastic element already present in the product. Some example of Primary Microplastics are microbeads found in personal care products or plastic fibers used in synthetic textiles. Secondary Microplastics are instead formed from the breakdown of larger plastics exposed to weather conditions. (Rogers, 2019). 

Where they are found  

Microplastics are founded almost everywhere. They are mainly founded into the ocean water as well in freshwater. They are not only in the water, but they are found also in fishes, mollusks and in general in the ocean and freshwater ecosystems. Microplastics are also founded in potable water, food and so Human body. In fact, a recent study published by Environmental Science & Technology shows that Americans drink and breathe between 74,000 and 121,000 microplastic particles every year (Oaklander,2019.). Microplastic can be found also in the atmosphere. “Abundant levels of microplastic have been found in snow from the Arctic to the Alps” showing a significant contamination of the atmosphere (Carrington, 2019). Furthermore, microplastic have been found in soil. Once in the soil, it will degrade even more and leach to groundwater. From groundwater they can end up in rivers, lake and even in our drinkable water (He, Luo, Lu, Liu, Song, & Lei, 2018) 

How they get there 

Microplastics end ups in the environment for many reasons. Unfortunately, microplastic are not removed into wastewater facilities. So microplastics flow into river, lake and ocean with no obstacle.  When plastics is dumped into the ocean, after time the weather conditions transform them into microplastics. Primary microplastics are found into water for different reasons. For example, fibers from synthetic clothes are shed up during washing cycle. Microbeads are presents in many products as toothpaste, body washes or scrubs. When people use those products, the microbeads present inside end ups in the wastewater. Plastic and microplastic dumped into the soil are affected as well from wheatear conditions and later they leach into groundwater where they can travel and become part of the water we use or go into the ocean. There, these small particles are commonly mistaken for food by the zooplanktons, mollusks, fishes and even sea birds. (Beaulieu, 2017) Since they are not breakable by the organism, microplastic continue to stay inside them until those animals become food for humans. Once humans eat fishes containing microplastics, microplastics are now into their body that are incapable to break them down as well. Since microplastic are also present in the atmosphere and in the soil, they enter in our body not only from food but also from the air we breathe and the water we drink. 

Why they are problematic to humans and the environment

Microplastics cause many damages to the environment. They are able to attract other toxins as pesticides and concentrating them. When marine animals eat microplastic mistaken for food, both microplastic and toxins are inside those animals (Beaudry, 2019). They are also complex polymers, so they are substance that cannot process completely. In animals like fish, microplastics might affect their reproductive systems, their immunity systems and their survival skills. (Walsh,2016) Also, microplastics as well as the toxins they attracted end up in the food chain. So, they affect other animals as well as humans. Microplastic present a risk for both animals and humans. They may contain toxic chemicals like phthalates, bisphenol A and others used in the manufacturing process. Also, they can become toxic as well when they absorb from the environment chemicals as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which exposure “has been directly linked to cancer and other serious human health problems” (Whoi, n.d.). However, there are so many studies on microplastics but not enough information about the effect of microplastic on human health. So even if scientist might have an idea on how microplastic will impact on human health, further in-depth studies are needed to confirm the danger of microplastic.  

 Sources: 

Beaudry, F. (2019, July 21). Microplastics: What They Are and Why They're Bad. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-microplastics-1204133. 

Carrington, D. (2019, August 14). Microplastics 'significantly contaminating the air', scientists warn. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/14/microplastics-found-at-profuse-levels-in-snow-from-arctic-to-alps-contamination. 

He, D., Luo, Y., Lu, S., Liu, M., Song, Y., & Lei, L. (2018, October 13). Microplastics in soils: Analytical methods, pollution characteristics and ecological risks. Retrieved 

from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165993618304102. 

Oaklander, M. (2019, June 6). Americans Eat & Inhale Over 70,000 Plastic Particles A Year. Retrieved from https://time.com/5601359/microplastics-in-food-air/. 

Rogers, K. (2019, April 22). Microplastics. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic. 

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (2019, February 6). Marine Microplastics. Retrieved from https://www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/ocean-topics/pollution/marine-microplastics/ 

Walsh, N. (2016, November 30). Retrieved November 5, 2019, from 

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2016/11/30/microplastic-animation-explainer-midway-plastic-island-orig-io.cnn.