Tag: plastic pollution effects

PRESENCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN ENVIRONMENT; A RISING CONCERN

Microplastics have become one of the greatest threats to the entire planet. Their presence has been identified from arctic snow to alpine soil in the deepest trenches of oceans. Scientists are yet to find out the impacts of microplastics in the human body but have recognized their intake by people both directly and indirectly through the food they have, the water they drink and the air they breathe.

Instead of biodegradation, plastic undergoes physical breakdown resulting in the formation of particles smaller than 5mm in size known as microplastics and particles having a diameter less than 0.001mm known as nanoplastics. Microplastics are usually discarded while washing synthetic clothes, vehicle tyres and emissions of plastic pellets from industries.

The existence of microplastics in the marine sediments and bottom-living creatures of the sea is a serious indication of the potential environmental hazards due to pollution. Once ingested by small creatures, the microplastics move through the food chain affecting the entire biodiversity and the exposure of wildlife to tiny particles of plastics can lead to infertility, inflammation, cancer etc. Studies on marine animals have reported an increasingly alarming rate of microplastics in every one of 50 marine mammals washed up on the shores. They have also been found in insects and birds. Apart from the identified health impacts on animals and marine life, very little is known about its health effects on humans.

The omnipresence of plastic in our environment is equally treacherous to humans even though its consequences are yet to be identified. Analysis of bottled drinking water across the globe conducted by WHO in 2018 has detected the potential risks of microplastic in 90% of the world’s most popular bottled water brands.

The studies conducted by WWF in 2019 shows that the average human eats around 2000 microplastics weakly and 90% of rainwater samples collected from various regions contain a considerable amount of microplastic in it. 

Reports on recent research conducted on deceased human organs have discovered the traces of numerous types of plastic in almost all major organs including kidney, lungs, liver etc and it also suggests that microplastics can persist in the human body. These harmful chemicals in plastic materials can cause adverse health imbalances including cancer, birth defects, developmental and reproductive issues, endocrine disruption, and compromised immunity.

The most shocking fact is that the microplastics have made their way into the human body, even in the placenta of several unborn children. Long term health hazards caused by extremely small particles of plastic in the placenta of the babies and their mothers is a serious concern. These particles are likely to have been consumed or breathed in by mothers that could carry chemicals that may upset the foetus’s developing immune system.

The inventions humans have made through the overexploitation of nature without taking the harmful effects into consideration now seems to bite back at them one by one as the maker of plastic seems to be made of plastic. It’s high time for us to respect nature and live within its bounds.

“Saving Earth And Celebrating Plastic Bag Free Day.”

Plastic has become an integral part of our life and we have been utilizing in each and every aspect and thing we see around us. Be it in our mobile phones, utensils, containers, carry bags and many more. We have made our life more and more dependent on this material that we can hardly imagine our life without them. The benefits they provide us by proving to be lightweight, long lasting,, cost effective, moldable, has given them the plus point over other metals and materials, thus humans inculcated them in their lives. But as we see the other side of the coin, plastic has proven to be a man made problem, troubling our environment. We see plastic and things made of it being thrown with a single use not only in our neighborhood but also in far away places like oceans and sea. These do not get broken as they have stronger bonds thus remaining in our environment for more that 100-500 years before they decompose. These plastic things have disturbed the aquatic life and have destroyed the purity and cleanliness of these water resources. 

People have tried hard to get rid of plastic by recycling them or reusing them and even burning them. Burning of plastic burns out toxic flames which could prove to be harmful and even cause cancer if inhaled. Many people are making things out of waste so as to stop the practice of throwing plastic. But is that enough? People hardly care about nature and their environment. They will say they care, but more often end up buying the plastics and carrying bags and goods. So what could be done. 

Everything starts with an idea, and soon becomes a part of the day to day life of an individual. For this every year Plastic Bag Free Day is celebrated on 3rd of July to initiate and Bring into notice people about the harms of plastic. People are told about how we humans use plastic and just throw  it away, which makes it a single use plastic that waste could have been utilized easily for future shopping or storage   rather than being let through and dumped as waste. Every year bulk of plastic wayse is obtained from places around the world of no further use. So the campaign of Plastic Bag free day, suggests to prevent the use of plastic for a day and prevent people from doing so.

  1. Instead one can carry an old paper bag or a usual cloth bag for shopping or buying groceries . 
  2. If you are a shopkeeper then u can prevent giving things in plastic bags and rather spread the message of preventing its further use. One’ss people start preventing its use, it will soon become a habit.
  3. Another thing any individual can do is to  collect any plastic thrown away, place them in the desired place or provide most if it to companies which do work in recycling it. Or if anyone doesn’t have much of time, they can provide financial aid to the NGOs or people working in this areas

It’s High time to understand the need to shift to better and improved material so as to prevent our earth from getting worse.We need to do research in material with better strength, durability and cost effectiveness and also which are not harmful for our nature. These small activities a day can bring revolutionary changes in the future, we just need to work together in the goals to make our earth better, with the purest form of resources and people and animals on this planet safer and happier.