Microplastics
Context:
- According to a recent study, there are currently 170 trillion plastic particles floating in the world’s oceans, each weighing over 2 million metric tonnes. The study also cautioned that if quick action is not taken, this number might nearly triple by 2040.
- According to the analysis, the situation is substantially worse than expected. In 2014, it was estimated that there were 5 trillion bits of plastic in the ocean. In less than ten years, our population has grown to 170 trillion.
Why microplastic is an issue and what it is:
- Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine trash in our ocean and the Great Lakes. Microplastics are plastic waste items that are less than five millimetres in length (or around the size of a sesame seed). Plastic waste can be of any size or shape.
- Microplastics are particularly harmful to the oceans because they are difficult to break down into harmless molecules and have a severe influence on the health of marine creatures that mistake plastic for food.
- Furthermore, the loss of biodiversity and the stability of the ecosystem could be harmed by these particles.
What conclusions came from the most recent study?
- For their assessment, the researchers used surface-level plastic contamination data from roughly 12,000 ocean stations spread over six main maritime regions between 1979 and 2019.
- They combined this with data from their own missions after that.
- They found that between 1990 and 2005, there was a rather large variation in the amount of plastic particles. This may be due to a variety of factors, such as the prompt and effective implementation of important policy measures.
- “In the 1980s and 1990s, there were international regulations that enforced prohibitions on discarding rubbish at sea, such as MARPOL Annex 5. These were strict regulations that served as both preventative and enforcement measures.
- However, things quickly started to deteriorate as the world produced more plastic than ever before. “We have produced more than 5,000,000 tonnes more plastic into the world since 2005, and with more plastic there is more pollution,” said Erdle, adding that the prior regulations weren’t enough to stop the growing plastic pollution.
- The study concluded that the concentration of plastic particles, particularly microplastics, in the ocean has increased and is continually increasing since the middle of the 2000s.
- Scientists also cautioned that if serious action is not made to address the issue, the amount of plastic entering aquatic environments will have increased by 2.6 times by 2040.
What impact do microplastics have on marine life and the ocean?
- Recent studies have discovered microplastics in marine species, such as phytoplankton, whales, and dolphins, which may be hazardous to these creatures.
- According to one of the co-authors of the current report, ingestion of such particles may cause “mechanical issues, such as lacerations and obstructions to internal systems.”
- He stated, “Ingested plastics can cause chemical issues by leaching chemicals into organisms.
- Many hydrophobic compounds, including DDT, PCBs, and other industrial chemicals, can leak when eaten, according to studies.
- Moreover, microplastics may obstruct the ocean’s normal carbon cycle.
- The majority of the time, zooplankton eat phytoplankton, which absorb carbon, and then excrete it as faecal pellets that sink to the ocean floor.
- Once these carbon-containing pellets are present, the carbon can be remineralized into rocks, preventing it from escaping back into the atmosphere.
- But, if zooplanktons consume microplastics, it is less likely that the carbon will reach the seafloor and be permanently buried because their faeces pellets drop at a much slower rate and are more likely to dissolve or be eaten by other creatures.
What actions may be performed to lessen the plastic pollution in the ocean?
- According to the authors of the most current report, there has to be an immediate worldwide agreement to curb the production of single-use, throw-away plastic.
- “Thus far in this century, there have been few effective, voluntary, and cleanup-focused policies to prevent plastic pollution. Simply put, they aren’t very effective.
- It is necessary to have a strong UN pact against plastic pollution. It must be powerful enough to be enforced, emphasise prevention rather than just cleanup and recycling, and focus on prevention.
- To ensure that it stays inside their boundaries, cities must be in charge of handling their trash. It is necessary to reduce the amount of chemical additives used in contemporary plastic items.
- It is important to promote the use of recycled plastic in new products. Sectors of the plastics industry should be devoted to buying recycled plastic. According to Erdle, any new product must be legally required to employ at least 75% recycled plastic.
