5 Places where you would never imagine Microplastic exist

We have reached a moment where our plastic consumption is so high that we can find it not only as containers, plastic bags, or something else we are familiar with. We can find it in other places…

What are we talking about?

Microplastics, we know plastic is a material which you can easily perceive, but what if these ones were the size of something so small that you would need a microscope to observe them. Those are microplastic, small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and our health.

Studies suggest that 60–80% of marine debris on shorelines consist of plastic.

It seems microplastics are everywhere.

And, you could be asking, where are the microplastics come from? The answer is human activities either on land or at sea.

And there are two types of microplastics, the primary ones which are purposefully produced to be that size as a raw material or end-product, and they represent between 15–31% of the plastic deposited to the oceans and secondary microplastics come from the disintegration of larger plastic items which represent between 69 to 81% of the microplastic in the sea.

So, we want to share with you the 5 places where microplastics are:

1.Air

When we think about microplastic we can picture them on land or in the ocean, but they are also in the air. Janice Brahney, scientist from Utah State University, discovered microplastics by accident while she was studying how the winds delivered nutrients such as nitrogen to other states.

They travel long distances and become part of the dust movement before settling on the ground.

2. Artic snow

When you think about Artic, it could seem so far away that plastics could never reach it. But scientists from the German Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research and the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research found microplastics even there. They found 12,000 particles per 34 ounces of melted ice.

Other studies have shown that the Artic has the highest microplastics concentrations of all the world’s oceans.

Microplastics reach the Artic by aerial transportation.

How is it possible?

Some of the microplastics came from strong Atlantic currents, most of it started off in Northern Europe, but it was found that microplastics are also transported by air.

That means that no matter how remote the places are, microplastics find their way there, now by aerial transportation.

3. Rain

Specialists from the United States Geological Survey found microplastic in 90% of the rainwater samples collected in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado.

They were searching for minerals and other materials when they found these multicolored microplastic. It seems they are everywhere.

4. Fish and marine life.

Fish are exposed to microplastic when they ingest water or eat their prey that previously ingested microplastic.

And plastic ingestion occurs across several species, including marine mammals, fish, invertebrates, and fish-eating birds. Many of these are intended for human consumption, including crustaceans, fish and invertebrates.

Therefore, when the fish is consumed it also impacts human life…

5. Microplastics in Blood

Microplastics have been found in human blood, and the main reasons can be associated with the consumption of fish and seafood, salt, inhaling them, and the water people drink.

There’s potential harm in our health because of the water bottle consumption.

As you can see, there are many ways that this material is getting into human’s system, and even if it’s not yet completely understood, preliminary research has shown potentially concerning impacts, including size-related toxicity, inflammatory response, gut disruption, and the harm in the organs like lungs, kidney, heart, liver, etc.

How can we start solving this problem?

Even if it looks like something you can’t change, you can, begging by your consumption habits, especially the water you are drinking or using to prepare your food.

We can make a difference in our environment and health by switching our consumption habits.

Our bodies contain 50–70% of water, but are you hydrating yourself with bottled water? If you are, remember the key ingredient is still plastic.

So, it’s time to focus on the situations you can transform, such as switching to another source of drinkable water, so you can reduce the amount of plastic that is consumed.

Options that allow you to make a difference for your family, your health and for your planet.

Are you ready to make a difference?

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Learn more about us: www.alxedo.mx

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Sources:

• National Geographic
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Comerce
• UNAM Global
• National Library of Medicine