What are microplastics?
Microplastics are small plastic particles that can range from 1-5mm that have recently become a huge problem in the marine environments around the world. Macroplastics are particles that are larger than 5mm.
Primary: Plastics that are manufactured at a size of 5mm, used in many cleaning products, cosmetics, and clothing. They are introduced directly into the marine environment as a microplastic.
Secondary: These plastics come from the breakdown of other plastics, like macroplastics, that were already in the ocean. This breakdown process can be caused by UV light, tidal turbulence, and chemical processes, but the total breakdown of a plastic usually takes up to 400 years to completely disintegrate.
Primary: Plastics that are manufactured at a size of 5mm, used in many cleaning products, cosmetics, and clothing. They are introduced directly into the marine environment as a microplastic.
Secondary: These plastics come from the breakdown of other plastics, like macroplastics, that were already in the ocean. This breakdown process can be caused by UV light, tidal turbulence, and chemical processes, but the total breakdown of a plastic usually takes up to 400 years to completely disintegrate.
How do they get in the marine environment?
Microplastics can get into the marine environment by four main ways:
- Deterioration of larger pieces of plastic that were already in the ocean
- Direct release of microplastics from products we use that get washed down the drain
- Loss of plastic material from industrial businesses that are located near a waterway
- Discharge from sewage or waste in the ocean
What products contain microplastics?
- most face washes (a single exfoliating product can contain over 300,000 microbeads)
- toothpaste
- cleaning products
- clothes
- soap
- plastic pellets used in manufacturing
- any other products that have the words polyethylene or polypropylene on the label
How much plastic is really in the ocean?
- about 13,000 pieces per square kilometer floating on the surface of the ocean
- about 315 billion pounds of plastic is in the ocean
- in Lake Erie, there were around 17,000 microbeads per square kilometer
- in Lake Ontario, there were around 1.1 million microbeads per square kilometer
- 99% of the plastic we are estimated to see, is missing due to consumption from marine life
- we produce 280 millions tons of plastic annually
How do the plastics affect the marine environment?
It takes about 400 years for a piece of plastic, no matter how big or small, to break down completely so the plastics are building up very quickly. These build ups pollute the marine life and environment making it hard for any life to thrive in the polluted areas.
Coral Reefs: If a lot of plastic gets introduced to a coral reef environment, it will make the coral become stressed. This will cause the corals to also become bleached. When corals are bleached it means that they release their symbiotic algae living in their tissues which causes them to turn white. After a certain period of time being bleached, the coral will die. This will lead to the death of many marine species because they would need to find a whole new habitat to thrive off of. Coral reefs are an essential piece of the marine environment, and if they start to die, so will the millions of species living near the reefs.
Ocean Gyres: An ocean gyre is a bunch of currents that rotate in a circle trapping debris on the inside of them making it so that the debris are stationary and not able to escape the currents. The biggest pollution within a gyre right now is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is located in the North Pacific gyre. This garbage patch is roughly the size of Texas!!! This patch continues to grow because more and more debris are getting sucked in with no place to go. This makes these patches unsustainable for ocean life to survive, so nothing can live there.
Coral Reefs: If a lot of plastic gets introduced to a coral reef environment, it will make the coral become stressed. This will cause the corals to also become bleached. When corals are bleached it means that they release their symbiotic algae living in their tissues which causes them to turn white. After a certain period of time being bleached, the coral will die. This will lead to the death of many marine species because they would need to find a whole new habitat to thrive off of. Coral reefs are an essential piece of the marine environment, and if they start to die, so will the millions of species living near the reefs.
Ocean Gyres: An ocean gyre is a bunch of currents that rotate in a circle trapping debris on the inside of them making it so that the debris are stationary and not able to escape the currents. The biggest pollution within a gyre right now is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is located in the North Pacific gyre. This garbage patch is roughly the size of Texas!!! This patch continues to grow because more and more debris are getting sucked in with no place to go. This makes these patches unsustainable for ocean life to survive, so nothing can live there.
How do the microplastics affect the food chain?
This was my favorite part to research on my project. The plastics not only affect the marine food chain, but the human global food chain too.
Marine Food Chain:
Marine Food Chain:
- The size and shape play an important role on why marine species are consuming the microplastics. The plastics are about the same size and shape as fish eggs that a lot of species consume and feed to their young to survive. They are mistaking the plastic as fish eggs and eating them.
- Once consumed the plastic stays in an organisms system for an abnormally period of time compared to digestion time. A study was done with an oyster where the oyster was given plastic particles to consume and was observed until the plastic left its system. The plastic stayed in the oysters system for 48 days!
- If an organism consumes plastic, then it will pollute its system contaminating that animal. If that organism gets consumed, then that new consumer will also be contaminated with the plastic. This is a cycle and eventually the plastic is in the marine food chain.
- Another issue that the organisms that consume the microplastics face, is the problem of choking on the pieces of plastic because it can block their air passageways. They will choke and die.
- 85% of fish caught in a study were contaminated with the chemical called BPA, and out of those 85%, 55% of them were female fish.
This is a problem to us because we eat fish that are potentially contaminated with plastic.
Human Global Food Chain: Everyone all over the globe eats seafood. The marine life is being polluted with the plastic, if we eat those polluted seafood, we have now become polluted with the chemicals as well. Here is why this is an issue for us:
-Plastic contains chemicals such as PCB's, DDT, mercury, BPA, phthalates, vinyl chloride, dioxin, and styrene. Once we eat the contaminated seafood, we are now polluted.
Human Global Food Chain: Everyone all over the globe eats seafood. The marine life is being polluted with the plastic, if we eat those polluted seafood, we have now become polluted with the chemicals as well. Here is why this is an issue for us:
-Plastic contains chemicals such as PCB's, DDT, mercury, BPA, phthalates, vinyl chloride, dioxin, and styrene. Once we eat the contaminated seafood, we are now polluted.
- PCB- This stands for polychlorinated biphenyls. These are highly toxic chemicals that can show mutagenic effects that can interfere and inhibit hormones in the body. Studies show that they are most likely to inhibit female sex hormones. Once these hormones have been inhibited, it can feed on breast cancer cells and also cause other cancers like uterine and and cervical cancer. It has also been shown to cause serious developmental disorders for both genders like sexual, skeletal, and mental development issues.
- DDT- This stands for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. It is an organochloride knows for its insecticidal properties. It is also a human carcinogen. Although it has been classified as moderately toxic and hazardous, it has been liked to diabetes and neurological problems.
- Mercury- This is an element that when in its chemical form is highly toxic. Some effects from ingesting mercury are tremors, impaired cognitive skills, and sleep disturbances.
- BPA- This chemical is known as bisphenol A. It is a carbon based synthetic compound. In 2012, the FDA banned the use of BPA in baby bottles because it is linked to hormonal disorders later in life along with the dramatically increased breast cancer risk. The FDA wants to go further with banning this chemical and have it illegal to be in any food packaging. This chemical also has A LOT of health defects. For pregnant women, it disrupts the mothers the neural and behavioral functions. It also can cause birth defects and malformations on the infant. It can also affect the infants prostate if it is a male, and their neural and behavioral functions too. BPA has also been linked to obesity because it distressed the neural circuits that regulate feeding behavior. If one is exposed to this chemical frequently, it can disrupt the hippocampus and lead to defects in memory processes and the brain function. It is a thyroid disrupting chemical. BPA increases the risk of leukemia, testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. It has also been linked to the increased risk of non-cancerous brain tumors. A study has been shown that BPA is associated with male erectile dysfunction. Finally, it can also lead to asthma and heart disease.
- Phthalates- These are esters of phthalic acid used in plasticizers. This chemical is also used in womens cosmetics, making women have an increased chance of the health effects this chemical has. Phthalates can cause breast cancer in women. It also disrupts the endocrine system. It changes the hormones in women that are pregnant and this leads to birth defects. Over time, phthalates can disrupt metabolism function too. It damages the liver and testicles. It also causes low birth weights in infants which then leads to the increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood.
- Vinyl Chloride- This is an organochlorine that is also known as vinyl chloride monomer. Vinyl chloride has been linked to the damage of liver. This chemical is dangerous because it just takes a short term exposure to damage the liver. This chemical is also a human carcinogen that can cause a rare form of liver cancer. It also has a narcotic effect that leads to cardiac arrhythmias and respiratory failure. Some other side effects of exposure are , oedema (excess of watery fluid collecting in cavities or tissues of the body), frost bites, blistering, thickening,and irritation of the skin.
- Dioxin- These are a diverse range of chemical compounds which exhibit "dioxin-like" toxicity. Exposure to this chemical causes damage to the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys. It is also known as a human carcinogen.
- Styrene- This chemical can also be called ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene, phenylbenzene. Styrene is classified as a hazardous chemical. It is toxic to the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and respiratory system. This chemical could possibly also be linked to pancreatic cancer and disorders of the nervous system.
How do plastics break down physically and chemically?
Chemical: Plastics can be divided into two categories based on their chemical composition.
- The first category are polymers that only have aliphatic carbon atoms in their backbone chains.
This is the chemical composition of an agent used in the making of the plastic parts that go into tires.
2. The other category is made up of heterochain polymers. THey contain atoms like oxygen , nitrogen, or sulfur in their backbone chains along with carbon.
2. The other category is made up of heterochain polymers. THey contain atoms like oxygen , nitrogen, or sulfur in their backbone chains along with carbon.
These are two aromatic benzene rings.
A polymer are chemical compounds whose molecules are extremely large. The polymers that the plastics are made up of determine their unique properties including the ability to be molded and shaped.
There are also two more categories that plastic can be classified into. These two categories are called thermoplastic and thermosetting.
Thermoplastic- This type is capable of being molded and remolded repeatedly meaning it is reusable plastic. If you have a polystyrene styrofoam cup, you can melt it down and make it into a plastic dish if you wanted. The polymer structure that are associated with thermoplastics have individual molecules, meaning they are separate from each other and can flow past one another. The molecules that make up thermoplastics may either have really high or really low molecular weights. They are also branched in a linear structure. Plastic morphology is the arrangement of molecules on a large scale. Thermoplastics can have both an amorphous AND crystalline. Amorphous is when the molecules are arranged randomly, and crystalline is when the molecules are arranged closely in a certain order. MAIN IDEA OF THEM: SEPARABILITY, MELTING, & MOLECULE MOBILITY.
Thermosets: This type cannot be reused when heated. During the initial process, they go through a chemical reaction that makes them an infusible, insoluble network. It basically becomes one large molecule, rather than many little ones. Most thermosets are amorphous in their plastic morphology. This means that the molecules are arranged randomly and are intertwined. Thermosets do not melt when they are reheated, so they can be stable up to a certain temperature where chemical degradation begins and thermoplastics melt. MAIN IDEA OF THEM: NON-REUSABLE, AMORPHOUS, & DON'T MELT.
Physical: It takes an extremely long time for a piece of plastic to break down completely. It takes around 400 years for the whole process to completely be done. There are a couple factors that help break the plastic down to a physical level. These are tidal turbulence's, UV light, and bacteria.
Tidal Turbulence- Tidal turbulence is the unsteady movement of the oceans tide. Objects that get stuck in these moving tides get eroded and broken down over time. Sea glass is a very popular outcome of tidal turbulence. The sharp edge of the glass get worn so it becomes softer as the turbulence throws is around for a long period of time. The same process that makes seaglass, happens to the plastics. The plastics get caught in the tides and over time the plastics erodes so that microplastics are left. The tidal turbulences will not break down plastics all the way, but it will speed up the long process of the break down because it makes the plastic smaller.
A polymer are chemical compounds whose molecules are extremely large. The polymers that the plastics are made up of determine their unique properties including the ability to be molded and shaped.
There are also two more categories that plastic can be classified into. These two categories are called thermoplastic and thermosetting.
Thermoplastic- This type is capable of being molded and remolded repeatedly meaning it is reusable plastic. If you have a polystyrene styrofoam cup, you can melt it down and make it into a plastic dish if you wanted. The polymer structure that are associated with thermoplastics have individual molecules, meaning they are separate from each other and can flow past one another. The molecules that make up thermoplastics may either have really high or really low molecular weights. They are also branched in a linear structure. Plastic morphology is the arrangement of molecules on a large scale. Thermoplastics can have both an amorphous AND crystalline. Amorphous is when the molecules are arranged randomly, and crystalline is when the molecules are arranged closely in a certain order. MAIN IDEA OF THEM: SEPARABILITY, MELTING, & MOLECULE MOBILITY.
Thermosets: This type cannot be reused when heated. During the initial process, they go through a chemical reaction that makes them an infusible, insoluble network. It basically becomes one large molecule, rather than many little ones. Most thermosets are amorphous in their plastic morphology. This means that the molecules are arranged randomly and are intertwined. Thermosets do not melt when they are reheated, so they can be stable up to a certain temperature where chemical degradation begins and thermoplastics melt. MAIN IDEA OF THEM: NON-REUSABLE, AMORPHOUS, & DON'T MELT.
Physical: It takes an extremely long time for a piece of plastic to break down completely. It takes around 400 years for the whole process to completely be done. There are a couple factors that help break the plastic down to a physical level. These are tidal turbulence's, UV light, and bacteria.
Tidal Turbulence- Tidal turbulence is the unsteady movement of the oceans tide. Objects that get stuck in these moving tides get eroded and broken down over time. Sea glass is a very popular outcome of tidal turbulence. The sharp edge of the glass get worn so it becomes softer as the turbulence throws is around for a long period of time. The same process that makes seaglass, happens to the plastics. The plastics get caught in the tides and over time the plastics erodes so that microplastics are left. The tidal turbulences will not break down plastics all the way, but it will speed up the long process of the break down because it makes the plastic smaller.
UV Light- UV light is ultraviolet light. This is light with electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays. UV light aids in the process of speeding up the breakdown process of plastic. Many polymers are attacked by the UV radiation. Plastics are made up of polymers so as they are exposed to this light they disintegrate over time. They disintegrate because the carbon bonds in the chain structures are attacked by the radiation. The UV rays interact with the carbon bonds to form free radicals. These are uncharged molecules with an unpaired valence electron and are usually highly reactive. These free radicals react again with oxygen from the environment which produce a carbonyl group in the main chain. The exposed surface of the plastic will then start to be discolored, crack, and then disintegrate.
Bacteria- A bacteria strain was discovered that is called Pseudomonas. As they eat the plastic they produce PHA. PHA is known as polyhydroxyalkanoates. These are linear polyesters that are produced by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids. The bacteria produces them to store carbon and energy. When plastic is heated, it breaks down to three things: terephthalic acid (TA), oil, and gas. When the bacteria consume the TA, they fill up with PHA plastic so the plastic is now in the bacteria and not the environment. Another combination of bacteria can break down plastic bags into water and a bit of carbon dioxide.If these types of bacteria are introduced into the marine environment, they can breakdown the plastics in a matter of months rather than centuries or longer. These bacteria are still being studied and are not yet ready to be put in the environment just yet.
What are some things we can do to help lessen the plastic problem?
- reduce
- reuse
- recycle
- use products that don't have microplastics in them
- use cleaners, soaps, and face washes with alternative exfoliating products like sand, crushed up seeds, or pumice.
- read the label and if it says contains "polyethylene" or "polypropylene", then buy a different product that doesn't have microplastics in them
- bring attention to communities about the effects microplastics have on the environment