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    • Mar 13, 2022
    • 4 min read

Microplastics. Small but deadly.

written by: Kenji Loke and Umaima Taha

Microplastics


These substances are small plastic pieces which are less than five millimeters long, corrupting both terrestrial and aquatic life presently. They are small in size and come in a range of shapes. They are five millimeters in length, estimatedly the size of a sesame seed and are called ‘microplastics’. Despite plastics only being introduced in 1965 they managed to accumulate macrotons within the sea over a short timeframe.


There is growing evidence that the microplastics that are amassing in our environments are the byproduct of the 320 million tons of plastic that we produce each year. As microplastics accumulate in aquatic environments, they also begin to pose a wide variety of harmful environmental effects such as pollution.

They enter natural ecosystems from a range of sources.These sources can be categorized into two groups


  • Primary microplastics

Primary microplastics are any plastic fragments or particles that are designed to be 5.0mm in length. These are very hard to spot but are present in our everyday life. In fact, we may even be consuming these substances without even realizing it! Examples would be microfibers found in clothing, microbeads in teddy bears and plastic pellets like glitter.

  • Secondary microplastics

Secondary microplastics arise from the disintegration of larger plastic products through natural weathering processes. These include water bottles, soda bottles, fishing nets and microwave containers. Additionally, only 9% of these plastics are recycled, and the rest end up in water bodies or dumps.

Both types of microplastics can be found particularly in aquatic and marine ecosystems , thus resulting in water pollution. Research shows that about 35% of the clothing that we wear is primarily made of polyester, acrylic or nylon-based clothing. Washing these clothes can cause the shedding bits of lint which go down drains and enter water bodies.

Furthermore, these tiny microplastics can easily pass through water filtration systems, ending up in places like the Great Lakes and posing a potential threat to aquatic life. There are numerous organisms, including fish and birds, that are ingesting plastics and suffering the consequences. By accumulating plastic in their bodies, they cause human beings who consume seafood to consume plastic.


There is no way to estimate the time it will take to excrete it out of a person's body, so the longer the substance stays in our bodies, the longer we are exposed to it. Due to the carcinogenic characteristics of microplastics, it is believed that someone who has plastic present in their body in higher concentrations and prolonged exposure is more likely to develop cancer than the average adult. In addition, they are also proven to be mutagenic, meaning they can permanently damage DNA and negatively impact our respiratory system, as they can obstruct airways and cause the lungs to swell.


Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) - present in microplastics, are known to be exogenous to both human and animal beings. They interfere with the hormonal functions and can cause unintended complications such as infertility, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and learning disorders or autism spectrum disorders. Thus, it is very vital to know how to minimize the effects of plastics on both the environment and our bodies. Start from your own household first, every step is counted!


Some helpful tips to get you started:


Refuse

  • Refuse all unnecessary plastic wear

  • STOP heating food in plastic containers. This is the most common way of inviting microplastics into your body since the BPA and phthalates present in polymers may seep into your food when exposed to elevated temperatures.

  • Use public transportation. The rubbers from the wheels of cars break down overtime due to friction into tiny micro pieces, which later accumulate in air. Eventually we breathe it in, and it enters our body.


Reduce

  • Reduce your plastic fingerprint

  • Recycle your old steel or silicone bottles, ditching the traditional prepackaged plastic water bottles which already contain about 325 plastic particles for every liter sold.

  • Install a water filter if you are a regular drinker of tap water. Distillation filters are proven to block out 100% of the plastic particles.

  • Invest in a good washing machine filter. Those filters are known to catch microfibers shedding off of clothes and allowing you to dispose of them in a right way, rather than seeping into water bodies.

  • Discontinue the use of cosmetics and skincare which include plastic. It's impossible to believe how easily microplastics can be absorbed into your skin and end up in your system without knowing it. Always check the ingredients of a product for plastic. Words such as “acrylate copolymer” and others, are just some scientific words for plastic.

Reuse

  • Avoid single use plastics

  • Avoid using single use plastics, such as takeaway plates, forks, cups etc. Go for more greener options – a metal straw, reusable cups for coffee shops, inform the restaurant to not include cutleries when ordering food, etc. You can also purchase reusable fabric bags for groceries and avoid buying packaged food, opting for fresh instead.


The bottom line is


Microplastics are everywhere. They are extremely harmful for the planet and its inhabitants and may cause irreversible damage over time. Many governments have policies in place to prevent any future damage, however, actions need to be taken now. Some high-end technology invented in the far future might permanently get rid of it, but as of now, there is still a long way to go. We can only take preventative measures and support rules and regulations to control its spread to minimize any further damage.


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