Microplastics

Microplastic - Primary and Secondary microplastics - Sources - Environmental and health impact - Solutions.

1. Microplastics By, Anitha V PhD Scholar Dept: Environmental Science Bharathiar University

2. Plastics  are a wide range of  synthetic or semi-synthetic  organic compounds  that are  malleable  and so can be  molded  into solid objects. The word  plastic  derives from the  Greek "capable of being shaped or molded" and, in turn, from meaning " molded ". In the World , 9 billion tons of plastic produce a single day. India  generates close to 26,000 tones of  plastic  a day. Also Chinese exports $ 1.7 billion plastic to India .

3. Microplastics , small pieces of  plastic , less than 5 mm (0.2 inch) in length, that occur in the environment as a consequence of  plastic pollution. Microplastics are present in a variety of products, from  cosmetics  to  synthetic clothing  to plastic bags and bottles. Many of these products readily enter the environment in wastes. Properties Microplastics consist of  carbon  and  hydrogen  atoms bound together in  polymer  chains. Other chemicals, such as phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ethers  (PBDEs), and  Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), are typically also present in microplastics, and many of these chemical additives leach out of the plastics after entering the environment.

4. Primary And Secondary Microplastics Primary microplastics Include  microbeads  found in personal care products, plastic pellets (or nurdles) used in industrial manufacturing, and plastic fibres used in synthetic textiles (e.g.,  nylon ). It enter the environment directly through any of various channels—for example, product use (e.g., personal care products being washed into wastewater systems from households), unintentional loss from spills during manufacturing or transport, or abrasion during washing (e.g., laundering of clothing made with synthetic textiles). Secondary Microplastics It is form from the breakdown of larger plastics. This typically happens when larger plastics undergo weathering, through exposure to, for example, wave action, wind abrasion, and  ultraviolet radiation  from sunlight.

5. Sources Sewage treatment plants Cosmetics industry Clothing Manufacturing Fishing industry Packaging and shipping Plastic water bottles

6. Environmental And Health Impacts Microplastics are not biodegradable. Microplastics have been found in a variety of environments, including  oceans  and freshwater ecosystems. In oceans alone, annual plastic pollution, from all types of plastics, was estimated at 4 million to 14 million tons in the early 21st century. Also are a source of  air pollution , occurring in dust and airborne fibr Microplasticsous particles. The health effects of microplastics inhalation are unknown.

7. By 2018, in marine and freshwater ecosystems combined, microplastics had been found in more than 114 aquatic species. Microplastics have been found lodged in the digestive tracts and tissues of various  invertebrate  sea animals, including  crustaceans such as  crabs . Fish and  birds  are likely to ingest microplastics floating on the water surface, mistaking the plastic bits for food. The ingestion of microplastics can cause aquatic species to consume less food and therefore to have less energy to carry out life functions.

8. It can result in neurological and reproductive toxicity. Microplastics are suspected of working their way up the marine  food chains , from  zooplankton and small fish to large marine predators. Microplastics have been detected in drinking water, beer, and food products, including seafood and table salt.

9. In a pilot study involving eight individuals from eight different countries, microplastics were recovered from stool samples of every participant. The  implications  of this finding for human health were uncertain.

10. Between 1950 and 2015, some 6,300 million metric tons of plastic waste were generated. The majority of this waste, about 4,900 million metric tons, ended up in landfills and the environment. On the basis of trends from that period, researchers estimated that by 2050 the amount of plastic waste in landfills and the environment would reach 12,000 million metric tons . However, the potential dangers of escalating plastics pollution, especially pollution from microplastics, remained largely ignored by governments and policy makers.

11. To help overcome this obstacle, organizations such as the United Nations Expert Panel of the  United Nations Environmental Programme engaged more than 100 countries in educational campaigns aimed at raising awareness of plastics pollution and encouraging reuse and recycling of plastics. Other international cooperative programs were established to address marine wastes, including microplastics pollution. In 2015 the United States passed the  Microbead-Free Waters Act , which prohibits the manufacture and distribution of rinse-off cosmetics products that contain plastic microbeads . Many other countries also placed bans on microbeads.

12. Remediation of microplastics already in the environment is another key component of reducing microplastics pollution. Strategies under investigation included the use of microorganisms capable of breaking down synthetic microplastic polymers. A number of bacterial and fungal species possess biodegradation capabilities, breaking down chemicals such as  polystyrene, polyester polyurethane, and  polyethylene . Such microorganisms potentially can be applied to sewage wastewater and other contaminated environments.

13. But in India still cosmetics products that contain plastic microbeads are available  such as make-up, lip gloss, nail polish, shaving cream, shower gels More than 455 billion plastic microbe ads and 749 billion microplastics have been released into the Indian ocean in the last few years, according to a study And what is worrisome is that the Indian government currently has no policy paper to fight this menace which is a popular ingredient in toothpastes, shower gels, shaving creams, soaps, face scrubs, exfoliators, etc.

14. Apparently a single cosmetic product like a toothpaste could contain anywhere from 35,0001 lakh plastic microbeads . These microbeads when they enter the water system could become a toxin carrier with a toxicity that's a 1,000 times higher than the water surrounding it .  Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Cadburys, a unit of Mondelez International Inc, use polyethylene in their packaging. Coca-Cola and Pepsi abroad have come up with biodegradable bottles, but units in India still use plastic that disintegrate into microplastics and can pollute our water bodies and harm marine life.

15. Microplastics can be found Oceans Ice Cores Freshwater ecosystems Marine environments Soil Air

16. Proposed Solutions Incinerating plastics to use as energy, which is known as energy recovery. Recycling plastics is considered a more efficient solution. Increasing education through recycling campaigns is another proposed solution for microplastic contamination. Countries would need to employ stronger infrastructure and investment around recycling.  Some advocate for improving recycling technology to be able to recycle smaller plastics to reduce the need for production of new plastics.

17. Biodegradation is another possible solution to large amounts of microplastic waste. In this process, microorganisms consume and decompose synthetic polymers by means of enzymes. These plastics can then be used in the form of energy and as a source of  carbon  once broken down. The microbes could potentially be used to treat sewage wastewater, which would decrease the amount of microplastics that pass through into the surrounding environments.

18. 7 Ways To Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today Reduce  Your Use of Single-Use Plastics. Recycle Properly. Participate In (or Organize) a Beach or River Cleanup. Support Plastic Bans. Avoid Products Containing Microbeads. Spread the Word. Support Organizations Addressing Plastic Pollution.

19. THANK YOU…