What is microplastics?
Plastic parts smaller than 5 mm are usually called microplastics (MP)
Why is this a problem?
When microplastics are washed down the drain, they do notis removed during wastewater treatment and ultimately creates environmental problems. MPs have spread throughout the ocean and general environment. They are now found throughout the ocean and coastal waters, on shorelines, on the seabed and on the sea surface.
Main sources of microplastics:
- agricultural, urban and storm water;
- aquaculture farming;
- operation of cruise ships;
- ocean dumping and waste management work;
- in the transport and fishing industries.
Why are microplastics a concern?
Microplastic comes from various sources, inincluding from larger plastic waste, which breaks down into smaller pieces. Additionally, microbeads, a type of microplastic, are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliating agents to health and beauty products such as some cleansers and toothpastes. These tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and into the ocean.
There is scientific uncertainty aboutdangers associated with microplastics. There are concerns that they may have adverse effects on human health as they navigate the marine food web. Microplastics absorb and release chemicals and harmful pollutants. Ingredients in plastic or toxic chemicals absorbed by plastic can accumulate over time and remain in the environment. It is not known if you may be exposed to these contaminants by eating contaminated seafood.
Unlike other organic and inorganicmarine debris, plastics and synthetic materials are generally persistent in the environment while maintaining their bioavailability. Plastic items typically break down into smaller and larger particles without significant chemical degradation.
As the observations of scientists show, in water theseparticles do not stay for a long time: they are eaten by sea animals. As Canadian researchers found out two years ago, each year, on average, a person swallows from 40 to 60 thousand microparticles of plastic - with water or food.
Crushing the danger that began to be explored too late
Microplastics are not a recent problem. According to the United Nations Environment Program, for example, plastic microbeads first appeared in personal care products about 50 years ago, with plastics increasingly replacing natural ingredients. Back in 2012, this problem remained relatively unknown due to the large number of products containing plastic microbeads on the market and a lack of awareness on the part of consumers.
But in 2020, everything changed.
The general trend on ecology, set in the late 2010s, made people think about the problem of plastic, and scientists to investigate the issue of the impact of MP products not only on the environment, but also on our health.
Microplastics in the food chain
For example, a recent study found that crops can absorb microplastics.
For decades, scientists believed thatthe plastic particles were simply too large to pass through the physical barriers of intact plant tissue. But this new study challenges that assumption. Cracks in the lateral roots of lettuce and wheat crops can absorb microplastics from surrounding soil and water. It can be transferred from the roots to the edible parts of the crop.
If particles get into our crops, they also get into our meat and dairy products.
In addition, scientists have found in popularseafood - shrimp, oysters and crabs - contain a lot of microplastic particles. Most of it was found in sardines, reports the press service of the University of Queensland. The study was published by the scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology.
All of the samples studied by the scientists contained microparticles of a widely used artificial polymer, polyvinyl chloride. At the same time, polyethylene reached the highest concentration in the samples.
The analysis also showed that the least plastic was found in squid and oysters - 0.04 and 0.07 mg, and the most in sardines, 2.9 mg.
Impact of the coronavirus pandemic
At the end of July, the UN published report.According to him, the pandemic has led to a sharp increase in pollution from disposable products such as plastic face masks and bottles of hand sanitizer. All this plastic can decompose into microplastics.
Plastic contamination has already been one of thethe greatest threats to our planet even before the outbreak of the coronavirus. The sudden boom in the daily use of certain products to keep people safe and stop disease is only making matters worse.
Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Director of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The world has only 10 years left to reach the goals of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, which were taken on by more than 150 world leaders in 2015.
Impact on humans: not fully understood, but already raises concerns
Anyone who lives in developed and developingcountries in 2019, it almost inevitably comes across plastic: it covers cans, is washed out of storage containers, hides in house dust and is found inside toys, electronics, shampoo, cosmetics and many other goods. It is used to make thousands of disposable items, from grocery bags to forks and candy wrappers.
But many people don't know that we do more,than just using plastic. We swallow it too. When you eat a piece of food or even take a sip of water, you almost certainly get tiny particles of plastic along with it. These ubiquitous fragments are known as microplastics.
By inhalation or swallowing microplasticscan bioaccumulate and exhibit local particulate toxicity, eliciting or enhancing an immune response. Chemical toxicity can arise from local leaching of monomer components, endogenous additives and adsorbed environmental pollutants.
According to research by scientists, chronicexposure is especially dangerous because of the possible cumulative effect. It will also be dose dependent and there is currently no reliable evidence base for exposure levels. Although microplastics can affect human health, assessing current exposure and load levels is key. This information will serve as a guideline for future research on potential mechanisms of toxicity and therefore possible health effects.
Because research on microplastics is so new, there is not enough data yet to say exactly how they affect human health.
But there can be no effect from falling intoorganism of such a foreign substance. It is likely that swallowing microplastics could further expose us to the chemicals in some plastics that are known to be harmful.
What pollutants are of greatest concern when working with microplastics?
Certain ingredients in plastics or toxic chemicals absorbed by plastics are harmful, including:
- dioxin;
- persistent organic pollutants (POPs);
- polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE);
- polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs);
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
These chemicals have been associated with manyhealth problems, including reproductive harm and obesity, and problems such as organ problems and developmental delays in children.
What is already known about the impact of microplastics on humans
There is evidence, at least in animals,that microplastics can penetrate the tough membrane that protects the brain from many foreign bodies entering the bloodstream. And there is some evidence that mothers may pass microplastics across the placenta to a developing fetus, according to a study that has not yet been published but was presented at a spring conference at the Rutgers Center for Environmental Sustainability, according to The Washington Post.
Some of these microplastic particlescan potentially leach bisphenol A and phthalates. Bisphenols are known to affect hormones, and there are studies linking its effects to reduced fertility in men and women. Phthalates are also known to disrupt hormonal levels, and their prenatal exposure is associated with a decrease in testosterone in male offspring.
Styrene, another chemical found in plastics and some food packaging, has also been linked to a number of health problems, including nervous system problems, hearing loss, and cancer.
Microplastic particles can also accumulatepolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), other chemicals that are associated with harmful health effects, including various types of cancer, weakened immune systems, reproductive problems, and more. When these chemicals are inside us, even low doses can have an effect.
What measures are being taken now and what to expect in the future?
In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a statement advising families to reduce their exposure to these chemicals.
“Plastic products were never intendedin order to enter our oceans, ”the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) said in a statement to Consumer Reports. He added that studies did not show "significant health effects of microplastics," but agreed that further study was required.
American Chemicals Council, other industryThe group told Consumer Reports that plastics used in food packaging must meet strict FDA safety standards.
To help assess the safety of our foodproducts, the FDA is reviewing information on the safety of food packaging materials, including information on whether tiny quantities of substances can potentially enter the contents of the packaging. Through careful analysis, health experts from the FDA have determined that these products are safe for their intended use.
American Chemistry Council
But not everyone agrees that there is enough control.Companies can label substances that come into contact with food as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) without providing peer-reviewed evidence of safety to the FDA, a policy Consumer Reports has previously flagged as something that could put consumers at risk. A 2018 AAP report criticized a long list of food contact chemicals. In this report, Myers says these substances should be regulated more strictly.
Scientists estimate 1.3 billion tons of plasticwill end up in the environment - both on land and in the ocean - by 2040 unless action is taken around the world. These predictions are based on a global model of the magnitude of the plastic problem over the next 20 years.
The researchers also studied the amountplastic waste and the processes of its accumulation in the environment and found that the level of cleaning of current filters does not correspond at all to the level of microplastic pollution in the environment.
Who is in particular danger?
You may be at risk if you work:
- in factories producing plastics or plastic products;
- in waste treatment, wastewater treatment or aquaculture facilities;
- on a cruise ship, shipping or fish farming.
You may also be at risk ifusing certain toothpastes or skin care products with plastic microbeads. The same applies to decorative cosmetics, certain accessories - especially glitter. In addition, you may be exposed to MPs while visiting beaches, coastlines, swimming in the ocean or coastal waters.
How to reduce risks?
- Do not heat food in plastic.Heated plastic is known to leach chemicals into food. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends not putting plastic in the dishwasher.
- Avoid using plastic food containers. They may contain phthalates, styrene and bisphenols. If these products are labeled as "biological" or "green," they do not contain BPA. But it's not a fact that such containers do not contain other types of plastic.
- Try not to eat foods that have been wrapped in plastic.
- Minimize household dust.It can expose people to chemicals including phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyls, and flame retardants.
- Reduce the use of plastic altogether - perhaps this will reduce the plastic footprint in the environment, which also hurts people.
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