Micro Plastics In The Ocean

Ocean wise is researching the journey of plastic from its source to the sea. To help address this pressing problem whoi has launched an interdisciplinary research program to understand the fate and impacts of plastics in the marine environment. That number is still growing and quickly.

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But there s still much we don t know.

Micro plastics in the ocean.

Microplastics a big little problem. Banned the use of microbeads. On beaches microplastics are visible as tiny multicolored plastic bits in sand. Microplastics in the ocean can t be cleaned up.

The term microplastics was introduced in 2004 by professor richard thompson a marine biologist at the university of plymouth in the united kingdom. Microplastics are common in our world today. Microfibers shed from synthetic clothing or fishing nets are another problematic form of microplastic. In 2015 the u s.

Aquatic life and birds can mistake microplastics for food. The presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in the oceans is a worldwide concern. But microplastics also include bits of what were once larger items. They pass unchanged through waterways into the ocean.

The salt giant gyres of plastic in the ocean grab headlines but it s the tiny bits of plastic that scare scientists. Research is being conducted. One 2014 study estimated there is anywhere from 15 to 51 trillion plastic particles in the ocean. In the oceans microplastic pollution is often consumed by marine animals.

After the winter floods of 2015 16 they took new samples and found that 70 of the microplastics had been swept away a total of 43bn particles or 850kg. Microplastics have invaded the deep ocean and the food chain. When plastic enters the ocean it never really goes away. It s difficult to estimate how many plastic fragments are in the ocean.

Many persistent organic pollutants for example pesticides pcbs ddt and dioxins float around the oceans at low concentrations but their hydrophobic nature concentrates them on the surface of plastic particles. These fibers beads and microplastic fragments can all absorb harmful pollutants like pesticides dyes and flame retardants only to later release them in the ocean. But microplastics are still a huge problem. Of those about 17bn would float in sea.

Environmental effects of microplastics. You can help keep plastic out of the ocean. Some of this environmental pollution is from littering but much is the result of storms water runoff and winds that carry plastic both intact objects and microplastics into our oceans. In 2014 it was estimated that there are between 15 and 51 trillion individual pieces of microplastic in the world s oceans which was estimated to weigh between 93 000 and 236 000.

Marine animals mistakenly feed on the microplastics and at the same time ingest the toxic pollutants. It breaks down over time into increasingly tiny pieces called microplastics no larger than a grain of rice less than 5mm.