For over six decades, plastic production has been booming with over 300 million metric tons currently being produced around the globe each year; given the countless uses plastics provide, from the packaging of food and other goods, textiles, construction materials, and electronics to even cosmetics, it is no surprise that the global production of plastics is expected to reach 2 000 million metric tons by the year 2050 (UNEP, p.26). Despite the versatility and usefulness of plastic, in the recent years it has risen concern, as the overaccumulation of plastic poses an imminent threat on the planet, causing harm to the environment in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, due to their non-biodegradable properties.
There are three classes of plastics: bioplastics, thermosets, and thermoplastics (UNEP, p.26); among these different forms exists a type of plastic called microplastics (belonging to the latter class) that have recently gained the attention of many scientists and environmentalists. Microplastics are extremely small particles of plastic with a diameter of less than five millimeters [source] that have found their way into aquatic ecosystems, and are suspected of causing detrimental effects on marine life, as well as the biosphere as a whole. These particles, made from chemical compounds such as polyethylene or polypropylene (which are the most common compounds used in plastic manufacturing, and are relatively non-biodegradable) (Rochman et al. P. 1) can be found in numerous cosmetics and personal care products such as exfoliating facial cleansers, toothpaste, and shower gel; [in addition], . Due to their minuscule size, sewage treatment facilities are not able to filter them, which allows these particles to flow freely into waterways. This issue is not to be taken lightly, as we have already seen the effects non-biodegradable materials have on our environment: the pollution of air and water, two of the most valuable sources of life. Recent studies seem to indicate that the presence of microplastics may cause the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of contaminants in living organisms, including human beings; however, some skeptics argue that due to the recent nature of this discovery, there are still many uncertainties in regards to the specific effects they cause as well as the magnitude of the impacts microplastics have on the environment. Nevertheless, even without this knowledge, it is safe to say that the alarmingly increasing concentration of microplastics in the ocean is undoubtedly a threat to the well-being of marine animals.
In order to tackle this environmental issue, it is important to gain understanding of the key aspects that surround microplastic production which are: the production process and life cycle of microplastics, their impacts on the environment, as well as the effects on human health. As microplastic pollution continues to progress and potentially become a major contributor to the rising issue of water pollution and bioaccumulation in the biosphere, this paper aims to explore the potential impacts of microplastic production and what it means for the planet in the long term.
[Production process]
As aforementioned, microplastics are able to flow freely from our drains into water reservoirs, and pose numerous threats to the environment on a macroscopic scale (by water pollution, decreasing the supply of freshwater), and even on a microscopic scale, where the accumulation of these toxins can negatively affect living organisms on a cellular level. These impacts
Bioaccumulation is the accumulation of toxins in the tissues of an individual organisms, and when it is introduced into the food chain it leads to biomagnification, the dramatic increase of contaminants in organisms as you go up the food chain. In a research report from Plymouth University in 2013, Dr. Mark Anthony Browne and his research team shared the results of the different experiments that were carried out on lugworms in order to detect any signs of bioaccumulation in their tissue after introducing the different pollutants and additives that make up microplastics into their environment. While their overall research was not very extensive, they did notice the occurrence of numerous biological changes, such as the lugworms’ “[susceptibility] to oxidative stress, pathogens and mortality,” (Browne et al., p.2) meaning that their cell signaling and immune functions were impaired. [transition] In another study carried out in Quebec, researchers took samples from ten sites along the St. Lawrence river and found that an average of 13 832 microbeads are present in every square metre of the river’s sediments.