Microplastics: The Invisible Plastic
What are microplastics?
According to the U.S National Ocean Service (oceanservice),Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life.
Microplastics in Toothpaste- downtoearth.org
Microplastics come from a variety of sources which include from larger plastic material that breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. In addition, microbeads, a type of microplastic, are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products, such as some cleansers and toothpastes. These tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean and Great Lakes, posing a potential threat to aquatic life which can consequently affect animal and human life as the plastic content is transferred through the food chain.
Microplastics & Marine Life
Marine organism are unable to tell the difference between food and microplastics and therefore indiscriminately feed on the microplastics. Some species of fish can excrete plastic easily, but others do not and therefore plastic accumulates inside go them. This can lead to problems with energy uptake and allocation, reproduction, and offspring performance. As marine litter is readily ingested by species throughout the food chain including a few well documented consumed as seafood, there is real danger that these pollutants may be passed up the food chain to human consumers.
Manta feeding on plastic in water- https://phys.org/news/2018-02-microplastics
What can be done reduce microplastics pollution?
- Avoid products with microbeads before the product ban goes into effect. Look for the words “polyethylene” or “polystyrene” on the ingredient label.
- Wash fleece and other synthetic fabrics less often. This also saves water and energy.
- Don’t litter, and pick up the litter you see. Take part in beach and other litter cleanups.
- Close the lid on your trash and recycling carts when you place them at the curb.
- Carry and use reusable shopping bags. Say “no thanks” to single-use plastic bags.
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