Microplastics are, as the name implies, tiny plastic particles that are less than 5 mm. You may have even picked some up at a beach. Although small and often not visible to the human eye, scientists and policymakers are increasingly paying attention to these tiny pieces of plastic due to their impacts on our environment, wildlife and human health. Plastic pellets are about the size of a lentil and are used to make a majority of plastic products.
Microplastics can slip through wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans. There, they're eaten or taken in by all sorts of animals, from tiny plankton to big predators. Some microplastics, such as those in face scrubs, micro-sized to help with skin exfoliation. Others start as big things like bottles but break down over time into smaller pieces.
Plastic microfibers are a type of microplastic consisting of tiny fibers from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. They come from things like our clothes, car tires, and fishing gear. In North America alone, washing machines release an estimated 3.5 quadrillion microfibers into the ocean every year through a process known as microfiber shedding.
Apart from the plastic that has been burned, which also poses problems, almost every piece of plastic ever created remains in existence today, in one form or another.
Once microplastics enter the environment, they become extremely difficult to remove because of their tiny size. They're present everywhere, even in the most untouched areas of the planet, where animals consume them. This ingestion poses a risk of microplastics moving up the food chain and ultimately reaching human consumption. Not confined to coastal areas, researchers are discovering microplastics in human bodily fluids like blood, placenta, lungs, and breast milk, and this trend is escalating rapidly. Microplastics seem to be turning up everywhere we investigate.
Apart from the plastic that has been burned, which also poses problems, almost every piece of plastic ever created remains in existence today, in one form or another.
Microplastics can slip through wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans. There, they're eaten or taken in by all sorts of animals, from tiny plankton to big predators. Some microplastics, such as those in face scrubs, micro-sized to help with skin exfoliation. Others start as big things like bottles but break down over time into smaller pieces.
Plastic microfibers are a type of microplastic consisting of tiny fibers from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. They come from things like our clothes, car tires, and fishing gear. In North America alone, washing machines release an estimated 3.5 quadrillion microfibers into the ocean every year through a process known as microfiber shedding.
Apart from the plastic that has been burned, which also poses problems, almost every piece of plastic ever created remains in existence today, in one form or another.
Once microplastics enter the environment, they become extremely difficult to remove because of their tiny size. They're present everywhere, even in the most untouched areas of the planet, where animals consume them. This ingestion poses a risk of microplastics moving up the food chain and ultimately reaching human consumption. Not confined to coastal areas, researchers are discovering microplastics in human bodily fluids like blood, placenta, lungs, and breast milk, and this trend is escalating rapidly. Microplastics seem to be turning up everywhere we investigate.
Apart from the plastic that has been burned, which also poses problems, almost every piece of plastic ever created remains in existence today, in one form or another.
