Microplastics

By: Olivia Delvalle

https://news.virginia.edu/content/microplastics-are-our-food-water-and-air-should-we-be-worried

“Little drops of water make the mighty ocean”- Julia Carney

One of the world's biggest current issues is the lack of wildlife preservation and an increase in harmful pollutants in the environment. Throughout the years our planet has turned from a diverse ecology biome to what is now a landfill of waste in some of our most valued resources. We watch as plastic consumes our oceans, garbage towers over lands, and smoke fills our skies. 

One of the biggest dumps for pollutants are our oceans. 71 percent of the earth is the ocean, making it even more harmful and susceptible for pollutants. Many people think that the biggest environmental villain is the large plastics such as  water bottles and plastic bags. However, there’s an even bigger problem that affects humans, wildlife, and the environment. A plastic that is so small that it is unseen by most untrained eyes, yet extremely dangerous at the same time.

Microplastics are unseen pollutants that may be inside of you right now. What is microplastic? There are two types of them, primary and secondary microplastics. Primary are microscopic pieces of plastics called pellets or nurdles. They are found in personal care products, plastic fibers in clothes, and plastic pellets in industrial manufacturing. On the other hand, secondary plastics are large pieces of plastic that have been broken down by natural processes such as the sun, wind, or ocean. Over time those pieces get smaller and smaller until they are microplastics. Both forms of microplastics are almost indistinguishable to the eye. This can be extremely dangerous because most people and animals consume it without even knowing. Scientists have discovered many animals whose stomachs are filled with plastics due to mistaking them for food. These animals later can be eaten by humans transmitting their plastics into the human body. As the food chain evolves, more plastic is consumed. 

Although this may seem scary to think about, there are many ways to prevent the spread and consumption of these tiny monsters. If you want to read some simple ways to lessen the creation of microplastics, check out the link below!

https://www.perchenergy.com/blog/lifestyle/reduce-microplastic-pollution-consumption