In this day and age, society is becoming more aware of the dangers of plastic pollution in the ocean and finding ways to reduce the amounts of plastic in the ocean. Although it is common knowledge that larger pieces of plastic can choke animals and take a long time to break down, we should also understand the dangers small pieces of plastics (microplastics) pose to both the oceans and our own lives.
First of all, what are microplastics? The US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes them as ‘small plastic pieces less than 5 mm long that can be harmful to marine and freshwater organisms’. Some microplastics are small, like those in microbeads in face scrubs, while some are the result of breaking down larger plastics like those in plastic bags. These particles get fragile and break apart by natural processes like exposure to the sun, making them difficult to measure.
There are different ways of how microplastics can get into our bodies and food chains. Since microplastics are small, they can easily pass through many standard water filters and into things like drinking water. Additionally, animals can ingest microplastics and pass them through the food chain, eventually reaching us humans. Microplastics are present in all parts of the ocean, as demonstrated by a study done by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Although no concrete studies have pointed out any significant impacts of microplastics on the human body, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and European Food Safety Authority have stated that microplastics will harm our body in some way or another.
What can we do to stop this problem? Firstly, reducing the use of plastic through the 3Rs (reusing, reducing recycling) can make a big difference. Another vital step is to practice proper waste disposal- careless littering increases the chances that the trash you threw will not be adequately processed and ends up just being thrown in the ocean. However, many experts pointed out that the struggle to reduce plastic may also impact the climate crisis in other ways. It is all about making the decisions you believe are best for the environment.
Sources:
Microplastic Contamination of the Food Supply Chain. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/december-2018january-2019/microplastic-contamination-of-the-food-supply-chain/
Microplastics: what they are and how you can reduce them. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-are-microplastics.html
NPR Choice page. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/06/06/729419975/microplastics-have-invaded-the-deep-ocean-and-the-food-chain
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