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Microplastics
What is Microplastics?
Microplastics are small plastic particles less than 0
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For a visual representation, think of a
sesame seed
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In 2014 alone, researchers estimated there to
be up to 51 trillion pieces of microplastics in the ocean
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In contrast, macroplastics are larger objects like plastic bottles, hair
combs, and toothbrushes
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Volunteers can easily pick up
large items during beach cleanups, but microplastics are often too small to spot or grab in moving
water
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004 to 0
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1 to 0
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Others
conduct visual surveys, though this method can be hard to use because of the variation in
techniques
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Plastic may break apart due to weathering from the sun, wind, or other causes
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Microbeads often consist of polyethylene plastic, though they may also
contain polystyrene or polypropylene
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These small particles serve as carriers for
bacteria and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
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They consist of chemicals like pesticides and dioxins, which
are hazardous to human and animal health in high concentrations
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Naturally, this leads to a more prominent risk factor
for large marine creatures and humans
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POPs aren't
very water-soluble, meaning they don't dissolve easily
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These deposits don't pose too
much danger if they remain undisturbed — but there's always a chance that they could be
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How do microplastics affect marine life?
Scientists are still drawing a comprehensive picture of how microplastics affect marine creatures
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In addition to bacterial growth,

many microplastics enter the ocean with their own set of harmful additives from the plastic
manufacturing process
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The rate of diffusion — or the spreading of a
substance — isn't the same for all of these chemicals, meaning some of them may pose less of a
risk to marine creatures than others
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Seabirds
Scientists have found notable amounts of microplastic debris in the waste of Northern Fulmar
seabirds — 47% of the fecal precursor samples they tested contained microplastics
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By introducing plastic particles into the environment, the birds may be
creating a halo effect, where plastic levels are higher the closer you get toward the colony
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Though this is less of a problem with microplastics, seabirds may still
be at risk for death due to chemicals or bacteria colonies on the plastic they ingest
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5% of their chemicals to the
fish that eat them
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PBDEs can also interfere with enzyme activity in the Pacific cod, which can cause
significant DNA damage
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How do microplastics affect humans?
One obvious way that humans ingest microplastics is through eating marine animals that have
consumed the material
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Cars
and trucks release 0
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One New York study
found that bottled water contained twice as many microplastics as the tap water samples
examined in a previous study
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S
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Though these particles are tiny, they have infiltrated
numerous aspects of human life, making them difficult to detect or avoid for the average individual
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You can play a part in reducing the number of microplastics on land,
in the air, and in global waters by shrinking your plastic consumption
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Doing just
one of these a few times a week can aid in stopping the inflow of plastic:

Buying natural-fiber clothing: Natural-fiber materials like organic cotton and wool biodegrade over
time instead of staying in the natural environment like synthetic fibers
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Using reusable goods: Substitute your single-use plastic bottles and straws for reusable options
that you can wash and use again
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Recycling plastic according to local guidelines: If you can't reuse every plastic you consume, be
sure to recycle them according to guidelines from your local waste management program
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Using alternative transportation: As mentioned before, car tires contribute a lot of microplastic
dust to the atmosphere
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Even carpooling with others
counts as a step toward environmentally friendly living
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For example, the Microbead-Free Waters Act of
2015 went into effect in 2017 and banned the manufacturing of any cosmetics containing
microbeads
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What if Plastic was in Your Food?
Marine wildlife can easily mistake plastic bags for food because floating in the ocean they look
similar to a jellyfish
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