Activity 3.3.3 – My Plastic Use

 

Caption: The preceding collages show the plastics that I use on an average day. Morning coffee, meals, snacks, hobbies, personal hygiene, clothing, chores, work, school, sleep, caring for pets, even getting in and out of my house, are all touched by plastic. Most of the items shown are one time use, or, are meant for longer use but cannot be fixed once they are broken (such as the plastic components of my vehicle’s bike rack.) Unfortunately, under our present system, there is a little incentive to change our consumption habits. Plastic is cheap and readily available, and our economic system is not conducive to the responsible usage of items that we purchase or even the ability to fix things once they are broken.

Microplastics are plastic particles or fibers that are smaller than 5 millimeters in size (Haab) that are released from PCCPs (personal care and cosmetic products) as well as plastic debris and trash like single use plastics. Micro plastic contamination has been deemed a global issue due to the fact that micro plastics have been found in every major body of water including the ocean.  Although the full extent of the damage caused by micro plastics remains to be seen (there is still much research that needs to be done), we are already seeing the negative effects of micro plastics on life and the environment. 

One of the more apparent effects of micro plastic contamination is the ingestion of micro plastics by animals and people. As micro plastics are introduced into an aquatic environment, benthic organisms ingest these micro plastics and they are then passed on through the food chain; larger organisms and animals eat the benthic organisms and as a result consume the micro plastics that those organisms consumed as well. Since micro plastics are not biodegradable, they never completely break down and end up staying inside the digestive systems of the animals that consume them, thus affecting their ability to consume and digest food. 

Another frightening example of how micro plastics are affecting life is and how they are being detected in human blood. A 2022 study published in Environmental International found that of the donors that participated in the study, three quarters provided a blood sample that was found to contain micro plastics (Snider). With plastic usage showing no real signs of slowing down or going away completely, the implications of these findings are concerning. It remains to be seen how accumulations of micro plastics could affect human organs including the brain. There is already evidence that suggests that chemicals used in the plastic making process are detrimental to human health such as BPA, which seeps into food and drinks from plastic containers. These effects include increased blood pressure, type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, behavioral issues in children, and even some types of cancer (Bauer). 

There are also ways in which micro plastics affect the earth itself. Plastics have a hydrophobic surface which means that it repels water. This promotes biofilm formation and microbial colonization in the sediment in aquatic environments (Haab). This plastic laden environment is conducive to potentially harmful pathogens that ordinarily would not have been able to thrive in this type of environment. This is yet another way that micro plastics are threatening the biodiversity of an ecosystem; harmful pathogens are an additional thing that life has to contend with on top of naturally occurring challenges. Additionally, micro plastics cause soil to warm at a slower rate and reach a lower maximum temperature versus soils that do not contain micro plastics. This presents another challenge to plant life and other organisms that require a minimum temperature to survive.

Plastic is here to stay, and in some places makes the most sense with our current available technology (such as in the medical field) but through awareness and every day reduction and reuse we can improve the outlook on the future of plastic waste.

Works cited 

Bauer, MD, Brent A. "What is BPA, and what are the concerns about BPA?" Mayoclinic.org, Mayo Clinic, 24 Mar. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/bpa/faq-20058331.

Haab, S., & Haab, K. (n.d.). The environmental impacts of microplastics: An investigation of microplastic pollution in North Country waterbodies. Adventure Scientists. https://www.adventurescientists.org/uploads/7/3/9/8/7398741/haabhaab2016_environmental_impacts_of_microplastics.pdf

Snider, M. (2022, March 24). Microplastics have been found in air, water, food and now...human blood. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/03/25/plastics-found-inside-human-blood/7153385001/Links to an external site.