Micro plastics are exposed all around us from the water we drink, the air we breathe, in our food package to the clothes we wear. People ingest 5 gms of plastic per week, on average it’s 2000 microplastic particles every week, equivalent to eating a credit card every week! I, as a single individual, cannot address the scale of health and environmental hazards, nowadays plastic is used in everything, including in our personal hygiene system and items. It is an urgent threat around the world.
Plastic debris is known to pose harm to the environment, the debris can be of any shape or size, micro plastics are an even more subtle and unseen danger, these are small pieces of plastic, less than 5 mm in length, that occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution and pose severe problems due to usage in daily life that all contain micro plastics. Leachate is formed when rain water filters through wastes placed in a landfill. Studies highlighted that landfills contribute in creating an environment conducive for disintegration of plastic items into microplastics. It is mainly due to different biochemical reactions which lead to temperature fluctuations, high salinity, low pH and generation of gases such as methane, etc. According to study, Maldives beaches have the most plastics in the world. 280 million tons of plastic every year enter our oceans. Micro plastics can enter the human body mainly through ingestion, inhalation and dermal exposure. Primary micro plastics are purposefully made small like the exfoliating beads found in skin care products such as scrubs, toothpaste have microplastics particles etc., after entering the human body, microplastics may gather in different tissues which could eventually lead to more severe health problems and immunological reactions. Secondary microplastics are created when larger plastic waste breaks down as a result of exposure to water, sunlight, soil, and marine life and in the atmosphere.
Microplastics have impacted almost every facet of human existence, human exposure are ingestion, inhalation, salt, seafood, seawater,sugar, salt, honey, bottled , tap water and even the air. We are consuming microplastics without even batting an eye. Plastic decomposition in a poorly set increasing the amount of microplastics contamination in soil and water, third world countries have weak management systems in greater danger. Microplastic pollution is risky and not merely theoretical. In the oceans, micro plastic pollution is often consumed by marine animals. Those who eat a lot of fish and other marine products are at higher risk for health issues because coastal areas, which rely largely on marine life for sustainability, are susceptible to microplastics and its pollution in seafood too. Plastics can take hundreds of thousands of years to decompose and in the meantime, wreak havoc on the environment. Even on beaches, microplastics are visible as tiny multi-colored plastic bits in sand. It is a huge problem to our ocean’s ecosystem.
We are using plastic bottles that release the microplastics that we drink in our daily use. It has been proven to contain microplastics in higher quantities than tap water, it directly infects our stomach and immune system. When squeezed plastic bottles, it gets some white lines around, it’s like microplastics tearing from it, there are so many examples and 90 percent haven’t been discovered. It must eliminate or at least limit the use of plastic on a larger scale. It is the only way to avoid microplastics. Micro plastics found in toothpaste and scrubs and in personal care products, consumption of microplastics can be considerably decreased by reading product labels and choosing natural exfoliators like sugar and oats. Polythene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the chemicals of microplastics, they are microbeads and should be avoided. These ingested by humans can be found in every organ including the brain, blood and breast milk, these small particles could even induce behavioural changes, said study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science. Dissolvable coating on laundry and dishwasher pods is made of plastic. Some 75% of it ends up in the environment – even after wastewater treatment, ditch detergent pods, Japanese researchers discover microplastics in clouds, these small particles of plastic are believed to be affecting the climate in ways that scientists still don’t fully understand.
Scientists analyse human testicles, find microplastics in every single one of them, raising concerns about their potential link to declining sperm counts in men.
Diabetes, infertility, cancers, obesity, metabolic problems, bowel disease, digestive tract are increasingly associated with disturbed gut, effects of microplastics may cause inflammation, oxidative stress , respiratory distress like asthma, fibrosis, inflammation, leading to lung tissue damage. Microplastics and microbeads could be linked to possibly contributing to cancers, hormonal disorders over time due to their chemical reactions, toxicity, developmental problems in children such as BPA and phthalates. It inference in hormonal balance, endocrine disruption, linked to reproductive and cardiovascular issues, affecting reproductive health and fetal development leading to metabolic problems.
To lessen this microplastics pollution is to eliminate plastics like bottles, bags and packaging, choose reusable materials such as cloth bags, glass or metal containers, and clothing made of natural fibres.
Reverse osmosis, a filtration technique, is lowering the amount of microplastics in drinking water, no filter can eliminate them. Choosing filtered water instead of bottled water also lowers the danger, glass or metal containers over plastic for food storage, avoid heating food in plastic containers. Also, processed food may contain microbeads from packaging, choosing unpackaged food, microbead free or microplastics free can help. Lower the concentration of airborne particles, ventilation rooms, dusting, cleaning can also help. Replace plastics with glass, wood, ceramic or stainless steel as much as possible. Sulfur -rich foods like cruciferous vegetables, antioxidant -rich berries are helpful. Sweat regularly to encourage detoxification, exercise such as cardio and weight training, sauna are known to promote detoxifying and overall health in humans. A microfiber filter is the only way of catching synthetic microfibers. Government can restrict single use plastics, enforce proper waste management, regulate plastic additives, stimulate policy action and draw attention to the need for technological solutions to mitigate exposure risks and public awareness can drive consumers to make eco conscious choices for controlling pollution and prevention of pollution.
