Summary

How does plastic affect our environment and our health? The severity of microplastics in our ecosystem makes survival a lot harder despite the huge effort researchers and the government makes to make our lives easier. This blog post covers what the basic importance of conserving marine life health is and the damaging effects of microplastics.

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Despite its convenience and widespread use, plastic is wreaking havoc on our planet. From the deepest ocean trenches to the remotest polar wrenches, plastic waste has infiltrated every corner of the Earth, posing significant threats to both the environment and public health especially in NYC.

The plastic pollution crisis started as a by-product of greenhouse gas-emitting oil and natural gas refining to increasingly fragmented shards of micro and nano plastics in lakes, oceans and soil.  Since then, the world has seen an explosive increase in plastic production, reaching about 380 million metric tons annually by 2015. If current trends continue, this number is expected to double by 2050​ (Gross & Enck, 2021, 1).

One of the most alarming aspects of plastic pollution is its invasive reach. It is estimated that around 15 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans every year​ (Gross & Enck, 2021, 1). The plastic pollution is mainly concentrated in marine environments, where it poses a direct threat to marine life. Today, we understand that plastic contaminates freshwater lakes and rivers, turning them into storage units of tiny plastic fragments called microplastics. These microplastics have been found in the digestive system of various aquatic animals, including fish and seabirds, posing unknown risks to the animals, and people, who eat them (Gross & Enck, 2021, 1).

Microplastics—tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size—call for a major concentrated effort. The pervasiveness of microplastics makes them nearly impossible to avoid. As plastics degrade into smaller pieces, they release toxic chemicals that were added during manufacturing. These chemicals include additives like phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), which have been linked to adverse health effects in humans, such as hormonal disruptions and reproductive issues. Microplastics are now being detected in alarming places, including human placentas (Gross & Enck, 2021, 2). This discovery highlights the intrusive nature of plastic pollution and its potential to impact human health in ways we are only beginning to understand. 

Moreover, a more major and relevant driver of the global plastic pollution crisis is single-use food packaging. Our throwaway culture has led to the widespread use of plastic packaging for storing, transporting, preparing and storing food, along with an increasing effort to reduce plastic waste using recycled material. However, what many studies and researches ignore is that chemicals in plastic migrate from plastic, causing harmful chemicals to unintentionally be a part of the human diet (Gross & Enck, 2021, 2) which is why addressing contamination from food packaging is an urgent public health concern especially in New York City. Not only that, research on microplastics has found to these tiny particles affect the soil environment itself by influencing soil bulk density and the stability of the building blocks of soil structure, as well as the carbon cycle by influencing soil microbial processes, plant growth and litter decomposition (Gross & Enck, 2021, 2). This early research underscores an urgency to understand the function of soils and the terrestial ecosystems despite the diversity of particle chemistry, size, and shape so that, one day, helpful tools can be created to prevent the adverse effects of a material designed to make your life easier while simultaneously being immensely unsustainable.

What You Can Do

1. Reduce Single-Use Plastics: Opt for reusable items like water bottles, shopping bags, and food containers. Avoid products with excessive plastic packaging whenever possible.
2. Recycle Properly: Make sure to follow local recycling guidelines to ensure that recyclable plastics are processed correctly. Contaminated or incorrectly sorted recyclables often end up in landfills.
3. Support Legislation: Advocate for policies that aim to reduce plastic production, increase recycling rates, and hold manufacturers accountable for their environmental impact.
4. Participate in Cleanups: Participate in community service to clean up plastic waste from beaches, rivers, and parks. These activities not only help remove waste but also raise awareness about the issue.
5. Spread Awareness: Educate others around you about the dangers of plastic pollution and the steps they can take to reduce their plastic footprint.

Addressing plastic pollution requires different policies and continuous research efforts. In recent years, some governments have started implementing regulations aimed at reducing plastic waste, but these efforts often backfire due to the complexity of the issue. For example, while banning certain single-use plastic items like straws and plastic bags can help reduce the amount of plastic waste, it does little to tackle the problem of microplastics already present in the environment. By confronting plastic pollution head-on, we can take meaningful steps toward a cleaner, healthier planet. Every action counts, from refusing single-use plastics to supporting policies that promote a balanced economy. The time to act is now. Together, we can make a difference and pave the way for a future free from the suffocating grip of plastic pollution.

References

Gross, L., & Enck, J. (2021, March 30). Confronting plastic pollution to protect environmental and public health. PLOS Biology, 2.

Image: https://www.poison.org/articles/are-microplastics-harmful