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There is a lot of talk about research on marine ecosystems flooded with microplastics. Scientists are also trying to determine the amount of microplastics that are eaten, and understand what effect this will have on the health of organisms. Plastic pieces that have been destroyed by the element into tiny pieces, smaller than 5 millimeters, can harm fish and other animals. While marine plastic pollution has been studied for decades, the extent and effects of plastic pollution elsewhere are just beginning to be investigated.
Over the past few years, researchers have discovered microplastics in our soil, tap water, bottled water and even the air we breathe. There is a growing concern about the potential health risks they pose to humans.
As studies of microplastics on land and freshwater are still in their infancy, there is no precise data on the extent of the problem, but some studies suggest that there are more microplastics on earth than in our oceans.
Globally, more than 330 million tons of plastics are produced each year, which means that there are potential sources of microplastic pollution around us.
Where is it coming from? Fertilizers are considered to be one of the main suppliers
Sewage sludge containing microplastics in the form of microbeads found in cosmetics that may have entered the sewage system is used in many countries to fertilize farmland.
Exactly what happens to these plastics once they are in the environment is largely unknown.
‘It is extremely important that we have control over what happens on land,’ said Professor Anne Marie Mahon of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in Dublin. Prof. Mahon studies microplastic contamination and found it in Irish tap and well water. Recent studies have found microplastics in bottled water around the world.
While little is known about the effects on plants or the wider food chain, studies have shown that earthworms exposed to microplastics in soil have increased enteritis, slower growth, and higher mortality.
Microplastics were also detected in the air
Professor Frank Kelly, director of the Environmental Research Group at King’s College London, studies the presence of microplastics in London’s air.
“They’re definitely there,” he said. “The problem is in what concentration they are present in the air,” he added.
One source of airborne microorganisms is the same fertilizer that pollutes the soil. As these fertilizers dry up, some plastics can be “lifted” by the action of the wind. And you can’t avoid plastics by staying indoors: they’ve also been found in indoor air.
– There are many potential sources of plastic in modern homes – said prof. Kelly.
Threat to human health
Microplastics passing through sewage systems can pick up harmful bacteria that can spread with them. As a result, we can be exposed to their consumption. In addition, plastics have many chemicals added at the production stage and it is possible that they are released in the body.
“In sufficient concentrations, chemicals can damage and kill cells,” said Prof. Kelly.
Although the microplastics are too large to be absorbed by our cells, if broken down into nanometer-sized fragments, it is possible that they can be absorbed by our circulatory system or pass to organs, emphasized Prof. Mahogany.
Based on: CNN