The Rising Concern of Microplastics: Addressing the Issue Now and for the Future
The Rising Concern of Microplastics: Addressing the Issue Now and for the Future
What are microplastics? Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that have been produced by the breakdown of larger plastics, such as water bottles. They are so small that they can be eaten by marine life, which means we can also find them in our food. They can be found heavily in the ocean and other water sources.
Microplastics have been found all over the world, including in lakes, rivers, and the deepest parts of the ocean. They have been found in marine wildlife, including fish and sea turtles, as well as in humans’ drinking water.
Microplastic-polluted oceans also mean microplastic-polluted sea salts. Though choosing salt from land-locked mines, like the Redmond Real Salt mines in Utah, for example, are one way to combat this contaminated salt conundrum.
What are Common Sources of Microplastics?
One of the main sources of microplastics are from plastic production processes created by factories and manufacturing plants. According to Break Free From Plastic, The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo are deemed the world’s top plastic polluters for the year of 2021.
One of the most common forms of microplastic are microbeads which are tiny pieces of solid plastic used as an exfoliant to remove dirt and dead skin cells from the body or face. These beads, also found in makeup, often end up being washed down drains or flushed down toilets where they eventually make their way into streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.
We can also look to both the manufacturing process of and constant laundering of synthetic fabrics for contributors to the microplastic problem. Other sources include, but are not limited to, fishing nets, toothbrushes, dust from cities, tires, paint, road markings, shoes, and straws.
How Is This Pollution Dangerous To Us?
This particular pollution is a major issue that we are facing in the world. It has been found that microplastics are present in our food chain and they are dangerous to animal and human life alike. The question arises, how exactly is this pollution dangerous?
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine disruptor. BPA is a chemical used in the production of plastics and epoxy resins. It is also found in some food containers, water bottles, and other products containing polycarbonate plastic.
Hormone specialist Dr. Ivone Mirpuri, has thoroughly researched this ever-growing problem over the last several years. She has observed that the chemicals in plastic have triggered many health issues in humans, such as: infertility, diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, cancer, and brain-related / mental health issues like ADHD.
How do I Get Microplastics Out of My Drinking Water?
Mitigating how much microplastics you un-consentingly ingest can begin with filtering your water at home. Using a filter that has micron-scale pores can be capable of filtering out those tiny pesky plastic pieces from your drinking water.
Look to water purification systems like AquaTru that use microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis methods for the best filtration outcome. See this handy graph here to learn which type of system may be best for your needs.
After filtering, be sure to avoid dehydration by replenishing the vital minerals filtered out of your water with a hypertonic sea water solution like Quinton minerals.
Long-Term Mitigation Strategies for the Rising Concern of Microplastics: Addressing the Issue Now and for the Future
Microplastics affect the ecosystem of the oceans. More than 8 million tons of plastic enter our seas every year, and this number is only going to increase if we don’t do anything about it. This pollution has a huge impact on marine life because animals often confuse plastic for food or get trapped by it.
As a result, many species become endangered or extinct due to plastics in the ocean. As previously mentioned, marine life which humans consume as food ingest this plastic, and then pass the plastic onto us when we enjoy that filet of lemon butter fish at dinner.
There are many different ways that you can reduce your plastic footprint, from eating less processed foods to carrying a reusable water bottle. In order to keep our ocean free of microplastics, we need to take steps to prevent plastic pollution.
The most important thing is prevention. We can do this by reducing the number of single-use plastics we use and recycle all the plastic waste that we generate.
The best way to reduce single-use plastic consumption is by using reusable containers and buying alternatives like metal straws or even compostable one-use cutlery made from recycled materials like sugar cane fiber. These products are more sustainable, and they can be used over and over again or added to your compost pile, respectively.
Sources
https://environmentjournal.online/articles/microplastic-pollution-number-one-threat-to-humankind/
https://waterpurificationguide.com/water-filters-that-remove-microplastics/
https://waterandwellness.com/blogs/news/quinton-origin-substance-of-life
One Comment
Gail
Informative and at the same time wonder why reports of plastic jugs we try to recycle are sent / sold to other countries who discard them … true?