Microplastics, What are they?

Micro plastics are tiny pieces of plastic that are less than five millimeters across and are a pervasive pollutant (spreads widely throughout an area) in the ocean (NSIKAN, 2014). These pieces are so tiny that they are hard to filter out by wastewater treatment facilities. They sometimes resemble sand or small fish eggs and are often overlooked by the human eye. Micro-plastics develop and come from a few different ways and sources. These pieces are ingested by small marine creatures and have toxic effects on their bodies as well as organisms that feed on small fish. It is estimated that five trillion of these plastic pieces are afloat worldwide (Ruxon, 2016). One study found that a single plastic water bottle sold on shelves and in vending machines contains thousands of microscopic micro plastics floating inside of it. Think of this example on a bigger scale and how many particles are being released from the trillions of plastic in the ocean right now (Food & Bev. News, 2018). 

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The crashing waves and motion of the oceans currents along with ultraviolet light from the sun break down larger pieces of plastic. Over time, they are broken up so much that they form into micro plastics (Ruxon, 2016). Micro plastics never actually break down like organic material would from bacteria in the Earth but rather they break up and disperse. In heavily polluted areas there is something called "plastic smog", which is when the tiny pieces create a cloud-like smog resemblance in the water.

 

Another way micro plastics come about in the ocean is from micro beads. These can be tiny spherical plastic pieces found in personal care products such as face wash or toothpaste that wash down drains (Bischoff, 2018). They are used as artificial exfoliants for the body because of the gentle but hard texture of a tiny round piece of plastic. A ban in micro beads have been implemented in many areas but it does not solve the already existing problem of the beads in the oceans now. 

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One more way micro beads find their way into oceans is from something called nurdles. These are small pieces of raw plastic material used in production for plastic products. Nurdles are produced and shipped to production companies in bags filled with millions of these plastic pieces. In some instances there are spills of nurdles when ships or trucks are traveling with these large bags (Cape Times, 2018). In one instance, a spill happened in South Africa after a transporting company was hit by a devastating storm and spilled 49 tons of their nurdles (Mercury, 2017). This created a threat to their ocean's ecosystem and required government assistance that was delayed and non-government organizations to take this issue into hand. The cleanup efforts will be long and may never be completed. 

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Micro plastics are known as "toxic sponges" because they absorb chemicals that are already in the water like pesticides (Schneiderman, 2015). They are easily ingested by marine organisms of any size. The smaller the pieces, the more problematic they can be because organisms of any size can ingest them (Critchell, 2018). Nurdles are especially round and can look like eggs. After ingestion the chemicals from the plastics desorb and cause internal damage to cellular responses and cause an abundance of internal problems for marine life (Pittura, 2018). Micro plastics are polluting the base of the food web like tiny plankton when ingested that leads to a negative impact on the entire ecosystem (Critchell, 2018). Species like shrimp eat plankton and larger animals like whales and birds eat shrimp, even humans (Ruxon, 2016). This leads all the way back to humans when eating wild fish because chemicals are likely to enter the human body from the fish (Dixon, 2017). Humans are more likely to eat plastic in shellfish because we eat the whole bodies (Ruxon, 2016). Crabs are known to get micro plastics stuck in their gills and can stay in their body for weeks. This is different than organisms that ingest micro plastics through mistaking it for food and eating it. It’s unknown why they get lodged in the respiratory system for so long but we do know it can be a problem (Dixon, 2017).

 

Although micro beads have been banned in many places, this does not stop plastic pieces from continuing to break down into small pieces. It helps from further pollution but does not solve the problem we have right now.

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Resources

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A.G. Schneiderman Issues Report Showing Microbead 'Toxic-Sponges' Systematically Passing Through Treatment Plants Across New York State. (2015, April 21). Targeted News Service. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A410528179/STOM?u=las&sid=STOM&xid=09c6969e

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Bischoff, B. (2018, April 18). How the world made macro strides in curbing microbeads. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A535223141/ITOF?u=las&sid=ITOF&xid=23c28a87

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Concerted effort to net spilled nurdles on beaches. (2018, February 8). Cape Times [South Africa], p. 7. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526673165/WHIC?u=las&sid=WHIC&xid=bcbdd2f3

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Critchell, K., & Hoogenboom, M. O. (2018). Effects of microplastic exposure on the body condition and behaviour of planktivorous reef fish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus). Plos ONE, 13(3), 1-19. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193308

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Dixon, S. (2017). The Big Apple's Tiny Problem: A Legal Analysis of the Microplastic Problem in the N.Y./N.J. Harbor. Roger Williams University Law Review, 22385.

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Lusher, Amy, et al. “Microplastics in Fisheries and Aquaculture: Status of Knowledge on Their Occurrence and Implications for Aquatic Organisms and Food Safety.” Microplastics in Fisheries and Aquaculture: Status of Knowledge on Their Occurrence and Implications for Aquatic Organisms and Food Safety, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017.

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NSIKAN, A. (2014). Microplastics lodge in crab gills, guts. Science News, (3), 9

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'Nurdle' clean-up after storm continues. (2017, November 15). Mercury [South Africa], p. 3. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A514480020/WHIC?u=las&sid=WHIC&xid=85f4d8c9

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One litre of bottled water contains thousands of microplastic particles. (2018). Food & Beverage News,

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Pittura, L., Avio, C. G., Giuliani, M. E., D'Errico, G., Keiter, S. H., Cormier, B., & ... Regoli, F. (2018). Microplastics as Vehicles of Environmental PAHs to Marine Organisms: Combined Chemical and Physical Hazards to the Mediterranean Mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis. Frontiers In Marine Science, doi:10.3389/fmars.2018.00103

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Ruxon, J. (Producer) & Leeson, C. (Director). (2016). A Plastic Ocean [Motion Picture]. Netherlan