Microplastics

Regardless of their size, microplastics are similar to the toxic people we were taught to avoid in school: they are intrusive, persistent, and silent. These are in size and roughly tiny plastic fragments that are less than five millimetres in size, the size of a pencil eraser. Despite their diminutive size, they have a big influence. Similar to the microbeads that were once commonly found in cosmetics and face scrubs, some microplastics are intentionally designed to be incredibly small. Others that gradually separate from larger plastics include pieces of broken-off water bottles, deteriorated shopping bags, tyre wear debris or synthetic fibres released during laundry. Nowadays, microplastics can be found in practically every product used in modern life, including paints, detergents, cosmetics, medications, nappies, pesticides, and more.

Eventually, these microscopic particles enter our surroundings. They drift from roads, seep from landfills, wash into rivers, lakes, and the ocean, and end up in drains. Microplastics are currently considered to be the most common type of marine debris found in our oceans and Great Lakes. In reality, plastic pollution in one form or another is thought to make up 80% of all marine litter. From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the frozen Arctic snow, microplastics are present practically everywhere. An average load of synthetic clothing in a washing machine can release over 700,000 microfibres into wastewater. The possibility that microplastic particles could enter our bloodstream and lungs is called into question because they are even present in the air we breathe.

Even though research on the long-term effects of microplastics is still in its infancy, the results thus far are extremely alarming. Because they mistake these plastics for food, marine life—from the tiniest plankton to massive whales—is eating them. In addition to passing through the digestive tracts of marine life, microplastics build up and carry harmful substances that can eventually make their way up the food chain and onto our dinner plates. Human blood, lungs, and even placentas have been found to contain microplastics in recent studies. Hazardous substances like phthalates, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants that interfere with hormones and weaken immune systems are known to be present in or drawn to these particles. On land, microplastics change soil structure and may eventually lower crop fertility by entering the soil through agricultural plastic mulching or sewage sludge used as fertilizer.

More is being done to comprehend and address microplastic pollution. A research project spearheaded by the NOAA Marine Debris Programme aims to standardise procedures for gathering and examining microplastic samples in surface water, sand, and sediment. Comparing global microplastic loads and comprehending their ultimate distribution and impacts depend heavily on this pioneering work. International organisations such as the European Union and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have implemented measures to curb the use of microplastics, such as prohibiting cosmetic microbeads in a number of nations, including the US, UK, and Canada.

There is a glimmer of hope amid the gloom thanks to innovation and awareness. Researchers are looking into biodegradable materials like packaging made of seaweed and plastic-degrading enzyme solutions. Microplastic-absorbing laundry bags, washing machine filters, and small behavioural changes like washing clothes less often or selecting natural fabrics can all have an impact. Companies are creating alternatives to single-use plastics, and cleanup efforts spearheaded by local communities are becoming more popular across the globe.

Even microplastics, if handled responsibly and creatively, can have beneficial effects when utilised appropriately. However, when disregarded or abused, they turn into the unseen intruders we never anticipate. Similar to harmful influences in our lives, these microscopic particles may appear inconsequential at first, but if they are allowed to proliferate, they will infiltrate, and they will cause disruption. It is time to focus on what we discard as well as what it turns into.