Collin Barker
Advanced Writing for Sciences
Roger Williams University
Advanced Writing for Sciences
Roger Williams University
BLOG POST:
Microplastics is a word that is becoming more and more common in today’s lexicon but, what does it mean? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) microplastics are “small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life.” Microplastics can come from various sources. Some of which may surprise you since they are in items that we use every single day. According to Ceri Lewis, Marine Biology Lecturer and Scientist at the University of Exeter, UK, the five most common sources of microplastics are plastic coffee cups, single-use water bottles, straws, plastic cutlery, and grocery bags. You are probably saying to yourself “But these things are all bigger than five millimeters, how do they get so small?” When these items enter the ocean, the mechanical action of wind and waves combined with photo-oxidation from the sun cause the plastics to degrade into smaller and smaller pieces. And, they are pervasive! The University of Exeter research team has found that there are now 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the world’s oceans, with an estimated 10% of the plastics we produce ending up there. According to the study, individual pieces of plastic will outnumber fish in the world’s oceans by 2050 if something doesn’t change. Microplastics have been found in places as far away as the polar ice caps, on the coastlines of every continent, and in the very deepest areas of the ocean. There are two particular characteristics of plastics that cause microplastics to travel these great distances. First, they are long-lived, so it can take hundreds or even thousands of years for them to degrade fully. And, second many plastics float which allows for ocean currents to carry them very long distances. So why does it matter? Because microplastics are so small more animals can consume them. And, the smaller the animal that consumes them, the greater impact they can have on the entire food web since the plastics make their way up to larger and larger animals as they are consumed. Zooplankton, worms, shellfish, fish and even seabirds are all consumers of microplastics that can be mistaken them for viable food. And, once the microplastics are consumed, they can stay in an organism for a very long time…even an entire lifetime. Aside from the obvious risk of death to these organisms, several other risks can be caused as they travel through the food chain. These include feeding limitations, loss of energy and inhibited growth, the introduction of toxins and disease and the risk that these microplastics can make their way into human food. While efforts such as volunteer cleanups or collection have been made to reduce the impact, many agree that this is not enough to solve the problem. Organizations such as Clean Water Action and Save the Bay have been working with other non-profit and government agencies to increase awareness and focus on plastic source reduction strategies. To help with this goal here in Rhode Island there have been increasing efforts to address the microplastics problem in Narragansett Bay. In July of 2017, the Clean Water Action Group in partnership with Save the Bay completed a “trash trawl” in search of microplastics. The teams were focused on how many microplastics were in the Bay and where they were most prevalent. Unfortunately, the impact of microplastics pollution is not widely known. For many people, if they can’t see it happening or they don’t see the impact themselves they don’t care about it. We must care. We must change our habits. And, we must do something about it. So, how can you help? The answer is easier than you might expect! For starters, you can recycle and reuse any of the plastic products that are in your home. You can also ensure that trash is disposed of properly to reduce the risk of it making its way into the ocean. You can choose products that do not include microbeads. And, you can help increase awareness of the problem by talking about it with your friends and family or participating in local beach clean-up efforts. You can get started today! The next time you go to the grocery store to buy bottled water, think about what might happen to that bottle and consider a reusable bottle instead. And, when you go don’t forget to bring your reusable grocery bags! Together we can clean up our oceans and improve the health of our environment. PODCAST STORYBOARD: high level, audio only 10-20 minutes
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AuthorHi! I am a Sophomore Marine Biology Major at Roger Williams University, an avid reader and fish keeper. ArchivesCategories |