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Microplastics Solution (Opinion) |
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by Katherine Bell | 02-11-2021 13:25
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Many cosmetic, skincare, and cleaning products contain scrubbing particles called microbeads, which are small plastic fragments ranging in size from roughly five micrometers to one millimeter. Think of the size of a sesame seed, now multiply that by millions: this is the current situation in our oceans.
Microbeads accumulate in the oceans, endangering both marine life and humans as it enters their respective diets. Though incredibly small and inconsequential on their own, their sheer number pose an enormous threat to sea life. The smaller the size of the plastic, the more likely they are to diffuse across biological barriers (such as cell membranes) to cause tissue damage. It is widely believed that Microplastics absorb toxic chemicals and when ingested, release them in a animal's digestive system. As those same animals are found on our plates, we are effectively incorporating plastic particles as a norm in our diets. There is also evidence that these plastic particles may be able to migrate through the intestinal wall during digestion. Despite being processed through another animal's digestive system, their durability permits them to pass onto us. Their minuscule structure renders clean up efforts incredibly difficult. Rather than direct resources towards their clean up, it would benefit the general populace to seek out alternatives, created of biodegradable materials. Skin care and cosmetic companies simply won't change their practices, as the feeling of microplastics attributes to the value of their product. Offering them an alternative that promotes them as a green business and reduces the amount of microplastics used is the most direct solution, in my opinion, to mitigating the adverse effects of microplastics on biotic health.
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2 Comments
Hello Katherine, this is your mentor Hannah.
Sorry for the late comment.
I was always curious about this topic and got to know well about it.
I've started hearing about these microplastics being an issue from few years ago,
and from then it seems some products without microplastics are being released.
Although, we should be more aware since the influence comes right back to us.
Thank you for your great article and please keep up with your wonderful work :)
Posted 29-11-2021 00:54
Hello Katherine, this is your mentor Joon.
I have heard about the news that micro beads are made of plastic, but did not get a chance
to hear that they are also contributing to marine pollution problem. It is indeed hard to think about the way to clean up the microbeads as we need micro filters which would capture everything on the way. Think work would be tedious, and reckless. Therefore, as you have mentioned, instead of working to clean up the beads, we need to stop using it after admitting the fact that ocean is polluted as certain level and search for alternatives. What do you think which could become an alternative for microbeads? It would be interesting to find it out!
Well read your article, and let's keep up.
Best,
Joon
Posted 02-11-2021 19:47