The Dangers Of Microplastics

Microplastics are small beads that measure five millimeters or smaller in size. They are usually microscopic, and may be seen as a type of plastic pollution because they drift in the environment. Microplastics are created from a variety of sources, including commercial cleaning products, synthetic clothing fibers, and tire dust.

There is no one safe level of exposure to microplastics because the particles can affect living organisms at any size they reach. However, it is clear that there is no level that can be considered safe for humans: microplastic levels measured on shorelines near major rivers reach as high as 20% by weight in surface sediments. What’s more, microplastics may be toxic at very high concentrations; recent testing of microbes living on microplastic particles showed that they absorbed large quantities of toxic chemicals present in the particles, potentially posing a serious health risk when transferred to larger organisms.

It is widely accepted that microplastics are found in the open ocean, but the extent to which they may have spread is unknown. It’s clear that we need to do more research on this topic before coming to any concrete conclusions. For example, one might expect that the thermal expansion of water and other factors would limit the amount of plastic debris that can travel by ocean currents. However, it’s unclear exactly how much microplastics are present in the open ocean or what effect it may have on marine life. In addition to pollution research, future studies should also investigate their impact on climate change and weather patterns.

The most important alternative is to reduce our use of plastic. Plastics have many uses, including grocery bags and camping equipment, but are typically made from petroleum products and can develop severe health effects by leaching toxic chemicals into the environment. In general we can reduce exposure to plastics by eating less meat or consuming animals that consume less plastic such as fish/seafood. Finally, we can better recycle plastic items if done frequently enough (paper and glass items excepted).

Another important step to reducing plastic pollution is talking about it. If we all mention this issue to friends and family, then together we can help raise more awareness about the problem. This can be done through TV ads, social media, or local political campaigns. Lastly, we can educate more people by telling them how harmful plastic pollution is to the environment and human health, as well as how easy it is to reduce our plastic consumption.

Plastic pollution is a global problem that is not limited to any region or country. It can be found worldwide in the ocean, waterways, and on land. In many ways, plastic pollution has become an issue that can be seen in nearly every city or community. With many obvious sources of plastic pollution like oceans and rivers being polluted with plastics from ocean debris and trash washed from coastlines downstream into freshwater systems, microplastics are now showing up every day in these bodies of water that are once believed to be clear and clean.

What is known, however, is that as plastic pollution makes its way into these environments, it eventually finds its way into our food. That is why this issue needs to be talked about and made a priority. Currently, there are no real plans in place to remove microplastics from our water systems and the health effects that they may have on those who ingest them are still largely unknown. What we do know for sure, however, is that the effects of toxins found in plastics like BPA make them very unhealthy. BPA is a hormone disruptor that can lead to negative changes in the Brain and Reproductive System, as well as depression, poor memory or some other mental or emotional problems with long-term use or exposure.

Similar chemicals are found in a range of common household products, including money, food and beverage containers. For example, BPA is found in receipts and can leach through the skin when handling. Once absorbed the body can no longer metabolize the compound and it will persist in the bloodstream for up to five days. The problem is that scientists have known about the issue for years yet there are still no real solutions.

The best way to prevent this deadly problem is to reduce our plastics consumption overall. If we start shopping more carefully with reusable bags, containers and straws we can significantly reduce plastic waste from entering our environment and water supply.