So, there’s apparently research coming out now about microplastics being found in people’s bloodstreams and the possible negative effects of that and I feel the need to get out ahead of the wave of corporate sponsored “be sure to recycle your bottles!” or “ban glitter!” campaigns and remind everyone:
It’s fishing nets. It’s fishing nets. It is overwhelming fishing nets It always has been fishing nets.Unless regulations are changed, it will continue to be fishing nets.
The plastic in the ocean in largely discarded nets from industrial fishing. The microplastics are the result of these nets breaking down. The “trash islands” are also, you guessed it. Mostly fishing nets and other discarded fishing industry equipment.
Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. Do not let them shift the blame to the individual so they can continue to destroy the planet and our bodies without regulation.
Industries are incredibly resistant to taking responsibility for their own waste, to the point where “consumers are responsible for industrial waste” is somehow considered a sensible, ethical, worthy sentence.
It is actually perfectly reasonable to say that “industries are responsible for industrial waste” and “the effects of industry can, should and must be fixed by industry” and “Industry can, should and must be held responsible for its impacts on the commons, such as air, water, oceans and land.”
So, there’s apparently research coming out now about microplastics being found in people’s bloodstreams and the possible negative effects of that and I feel the need to get out ahead of the wave of corporate sponsored “be sure to recycle your bottles!” or “ban glitter!” campaigns and remind everyone:
It’s fishing nets. It’s fishing nets. It is overwhelming fishing nets It always has been fishing nets.Unless regulations are changed, it will continue to be fishing nets.
The plastic in the ocean in largely discarded nets from industrial fishing. The microplastics are the result of these nets breaking down. The “trash islands” are also, you guessed it. Mostly fishing nets and other discarded fishing industry equipment.
Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. Do not let them shift the blame to the individual so they can continue to destroy the planet and our bodies without regulation.
Industries are incredibly resistant to taking responsibility for their own waste, to the point where “consumers are responsible for industrial waste” is somehow considered a sensible, ethical, worthy sentence.
It is actually perfectly reasonable to say that “industries are responsible for industrial waste” and “the effects of industry can, should and must be fixed by industry” and “Industry can, should and must be held responsible for its impacts on the commons, such as air, water, oceans and land.”
So, there’s apparently research coming out now about microplastics being found in people’s bloodstreams and the possible negative effects of that and I feel the need to get out ahead of the wave of corporate sponsored “be sure to recycle your bottles!” or “ban glitter!” campaigns and remind everyone:
It’s fishing nets. It’s fishing nets. It is overwhelming fishing nets It always has been fishing nets.Unless regulations are changed, it will continue to be fishing nets.
The plastic in the ocean in largely discarded nets from industrial fishing. The microplastics are the result of these nets breaking down. The “trash islands” are also, you guessed it. Mostly fishing nets and other discarded fishing industry equipment.
Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. Do not let them shift the blame to the individual so they can continue to destroy the planet and our bodies without regulation.
While fishing nets and other human activity on the ocean (yep, it’s oil drilling) is a significant contributor, 80% of marine MPs originate from terrestrial sources. Large sources of MPs include tires, single-use plastic bags and packaging (a particularly bad one), wastewater from washing clothing, and personal care products such as facial cleansers. So yes, our daily use of disposable plastics is harming the environment, and yes, the choices we make do hold weight. Also, your choices as a consumer influence how companies formulate ingredients. Boycotting companies that continue to formulate with MP-producing material does go a long way. It has worked in the past 10 years for other compounds such as triclosan (remember when everything was ‘antimicrobial’ and then stopped?) . When in doubt, reduce. Reuse if necessary, and remember that recycling is ineffective if you’re in the US because China won’t take our trash anymore. All that is not to say that industry should not take a large portion of the blame, but everyday use is not an insignificant culprit in the proliferation of microplastics.
And before anyone goes off on me, I do have a medical condition that does mean I have to use single use plastic. It doesn’t make me feel happy about my plastic consumption, but there isn’t much I can do in order to change that. Just do your best. If everyone cut down on what they could, things would be better than what they were going to be otherwise.
I don’t usually go off on posts, but I am a chemical engineering graduate student who is currently studying under a professor whose research is on marine microplastics, nanoplastics, and surfactants (think BP oil spill). Please, please don’t take me or OP at our words. In fact, a lot of newspapers are just not that good in properly conveying scientific information. If you want to be well-informed, there are plenty of scientific articles published in well-respected, peer-reviewed scientific journals. They aren’t a difficult read for a layperson, especially not the introduction.
Also, because people keep mentioning legos in the notes, as long as you’re not throwing them away, sticking them in your dishwasher, or chewing on them, it’s basically nothing compared to plastic bags and water bottles. They usually need high temperatures, uv radiation, and physical agitation to produce microplastics, so they’re probably gonna be fine.
Also, microplastics contaminate soil, food, drinking water, and air. So, seafood is not the biggest risk factor - most of the microplastic in our blood comes through the consumption of plastic-sealed food and water. Tap water and most produce typically contains very low concentrations of MPs in comparison to plastic-wrapped food. Parents should consider opting for safer toys and clothes for their toddlers. Children have a disproportionately high yearly MP consumption for their size because of chewing and sucking on plastic toys. We have found that microplastics can even be present in the human placenta, so anyone who is pregnant should consider cutting down on the amount of plastic they consume.
Sorry for the long rant, I just really want people to know more about this topic and to look to scientists for information. Please fact check me and correct me if I’m wrong. We all need to talk about this stuff a lot more, so I’m glad OP brought it up.
I’m in love with my guppy bag! From @stopmicrowaste, this awesome initative catches microplastics shed from your clothes when you wash them & prevents it from going into the waterways! Did you know the most common source of plastic pollution is from clothes? Microplastics are tiny and you can’t see them, but they are everywhere! In 2017, a group of scientists discovered that 83% of tap water samples worldwide contain microplastics and it is estimated that there are 15-51 trillion individual pieces of microplastics in the oceans. We are drinking and eating microplastics and burdening marine life with them as well! Getting a guppy bag is such a simple way to make a huge difference, so have you got yours yet? https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvmod78HZAC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=kyjymfg02p7a
So, there’s apparently research coming out now about microplastics being found in people’s bloodstreams and the possible negative effects of that and I feel the need to get out ahead of the wave of corporate sponsored “be sure to recycle your bottles!” or “ban glitter!” campaigns and remind everyone:
It’s fishing nets. It’s fishing nets. It is overwhelming fishing nets It always has been fishing nets.Unless regulations are changed, it will continue to be fishing nets.
The plastic in the ocean in largely discarded nets from industrial fishing. The microplastics are the result of these nets breaking down. The “trash islands” are also, you guessed it. Mostly fishing nets and other discarded fishing industry equipment.
Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. Do not let them shift the blame to the individual so they can continue to destroy the planet and our bodies without regulation.
Industries are incredibly resistant to taking responsibility for their own waste, to the point where “consumers are responsible for industrial waste” is somehow considered a sensible, ethical, worthy sentence.
It is actually perfectly reasonable to say that “industries are responsible for industrial waste” and “the effects of industry can, should and must be fixed by industry” and “Industry can, should and must be held responsible for its impacts on the commons, such as air, water, oceans and land.”
Don’t let people say the answer to this is to just abstain from seafood, either. Many fish and squid SHOULD be sustainable food sources (a few still are!) and it is not consumer demand by itself that’s impacting biodiversity; it’s the inefficient wasteful methods, again the corporate greed stage in the process, and the fact that the old discarded nets continue killing more wildlife than they ever caught for market. For YEARS.
I don’t doubt that plastic pollution is a big problem, but a lot of this microplastic news sounds a lot like demoralization.
“Here’s this bad thing you can’t do anything about. Please feel hopeless and prostrate at the alter of science.”
Something people should consider is that the human body is good at taking a lot of abuse and still mostly functioning. Think of the parasites, unclean water, etc. our ancestors just lived with. My guess is that seed oils and microplastics are not good for us, but it’s also not OVER just because you’re probably ingesting these things.
I always took it as a warning to limit your plastic cookware, eat healthier etc. No point in giving up like a pussy
tbh with microplastics I think they’ll just turn into another kind of ultimately inconsequential sediment
you can halve your microplastic intake just by not drinking from plastic bottles. most people’s tap water is just fine, especially if it goes through a filter, and it has a lot less microplastics. there’s some evidence microplastics disrupt the human endocrine system, which is not the best thing, but they probably don’t have a major effect on your health
Totally ruined my morning reading about tea bags and microplastics but at least I know now and I’m gonna switch to loose leaf. Posting this incase others didn’t know! Cause I know I didn’t
Might I also suggest for loose leaf tea: cheese cloth! it’s made of cotton, can be used for all sorts of steeping/straining besides just tea, and washable & reusable! you can buy premade pouches or buy a roll of it and make your own bags, and it is very inexpensive!
MICROPLASTICS IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACTS OF ALL BELUGA EXAMINED FROM ARCTIC WATERS
According to a recent published study in Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers worked with community-based monitors and Inuvialuit hunters from Tuktoyaktuk (Northwest Territories, Canada) to sample seven beluga whales in 2017 and 2018.Microplasticswere detected in the gastrointestinal tracts in every individual beluga whale, with each whale having an average of nearly 97 particles, but some of them had 147 particles.
Microplastics are plastic fragments, regularly smaller than 5 mm in size, and represent an emerging global environmental concern, as they have been detected in multiple aquatic species. However, very little is known about the presence of microplastics in higher trophic species, including cetaceans.
-Examples of microplastic particles observed within beluga gastrointestinal tracts (left: polystyrene fragment; right: polyester fibre) Bar is 0.02 cm.
Researchers do not know how microplastics enter whales, but they believe is because whales feed on fish, which have already ingested plastic.
Totally ruined my morning reading about tea bags and microplastics but at least I know now and I’m gonna switch to loose leaf. Posting this incase others didn’t know! Cause I know I didn’t
Might I also suggest for loose leaf tea: cheese cloth! it’s made of cotton, can be used for all sorts of steeping/straining besides just tea, and washable & reusable! you can buy premade pouches or buy a roll of it and make your own bags, and it is very inexpensive!
There are also metal tea infusers, they’re pretty affordable and easy to clean!
Microplastics found to alter shape of and de-cluster human lung cells
A growing body of research has started to illuminate the widespread impacts of plastic pollution, and the downstream effects of it on the environment and human health. A new study has delved into the kind of damage microplastics can cause to human lungs, with researchers observing changes to the shape of lung cells and a slowdown in their metabolism when exposed to these tiny plastic particles.
saw a post claiming that microplastics are mostly fishing nets which seems to be…totally made up? fishing nets ARE a source of microplastics but a quick google says (page 4) theyre like 0.5 Mtons/y and the total from plastic waste is 5-8 Mtons/y. do you think someone would do that. just go on the internet and tell lies
From the linked paper:
The global release of primary microplastics into the ocean was estimated at 1.5 million tons per year (Mtons/year). The estimate ranges between 0.8 and 2.5 Mtons/year according to an optimistic or pessimistic scenario. The global figure corresponds to a world equivalent per capita release of 212 grams or the equivalent of one empty conventional plastic grocery bag thrown into the ocean per person/per week worldwide.
The overwhelming majority of the losses of primary microplastics (98%) are generated from land-based activities. Only 2% is generated from activities at sea. The largest proportion of these particles stem from the laundering of synthetic textiles and from the abrasion of tyres while driving.
Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. [emphasis mine]
And again, I do think that glitter and single-use plastics are often overemphasized, but the study in question was the first proof of microplastics in human blood and the study specifically considered:
sources in the living environment entering air, water and food, but also personal care products that might be ingested (e.g. PE in toothpaste, PET in lip gloss), dental polymers, fragments of polymeric implants, polymeric drug delivery nanoparticles (e.g. PMMA, PS), tattoo ink residues (e.g. acrylonitrilebutadiene styrene particles).
So while I think the initial post is valid in saying “let’s not blame people who rely on straws or individually wrapped medical supplies or food items” I do think that attempting to frame fishing nets (which are the majority of oceanic plastic waste, do release microplastics as they degrade, and are a major component of microplastics in ocean water) is incorrect when the questions this study should raise are more along the lines of “why are so many of the things around us, from our clothing to our makeup to our denture adhesives, made of plastic and are there options that might reduce our overall environmental exposure to plastics?”
So I think it’s primarily shortsighted to focus on the fishing industry when the fishing industry should be under scrutiny as well as the fast fashion industry, the cosmetics industry, and industrial food production and preparation.
Microplastic are effecting animals and humans all over the world - what steps are you taking to reduce your use?⠀ #Repost • @salopiacreative here’s the whale blowing microplastics ⠀ #whaletales #talesofsavingwhales #stopplasticpollution #stopplastic #savethewhales #plasticintheocean #stopusingplastic #banthebead #microplastics https://www.instagram.com/p/CYWy5_BNKKr/?utm_medium=tumblr
They found an average of 41 pieces in each spoonful of sediment from continental shelves. That number dropped to just nine pieces deeper down on the continental slope. But when scientists sampled piles of sediment that build up in the deep ocean, adjacent to fast-flowing currents, they found 190 pieces of microplastics per spoonful of sediment, the highest concentration of microplastics from the sea floor to date, they report this month in Science.
That amount—which adds up to 1.9 million pieces of microplastic per square meter—is likely dumped by the fast-flowing currents, meaning deep-sea circulation plays a role in where microplastics are deposited. These currents also bring vital nutrients and oxygen to the sea floor, scientists say, suggesting microplastic hot spots could overlap with areas rich in biodiversity. As researchers embark on expeditions to survey different areas on the sea floor—like submarine canyons and fans—they may just find the next hot spot.
So, there’s apparently research coming out now about microplastics being found in people’s bloodstreams and the possible negative effects of that and I feel the need to get out ahead of the wave of corporate sponsored “be sure to recycle your bottles!” or “ban glitter!” campaigns and remind everyone:
It’s fishing nets. It’s fishing nets. It is overwhelming fishing nets It always has been fishing nets.Unless regulations are changed, it will continue to be fishing nets.
The plastic in the ocean in largely discarded nets from industrial fishing. The microplastics are the result of these nets breaking down. The “trash islands” are also, you guessed it. Mostly fishing nets and other discarded fishing industry equipment.
Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. Do not let them shift the blame to the individual so they can continue to destroy the planet and our bodies without regulation.
This post is awesome, but remember that though much of the the blame is on corporations, we can still help.
So, there’s apparently research coming out now about microplastics being found in people’s bloodstreams and the possible negative effects of that and I feel the need to get out ahead of the wave of corporate sponsored “be sure to recycle your bottles!” or “ban glitter!” campaigns and remind everyone:
It’s fishing nets. It’s fishing nets. It is overwhelming fishing nets It always has been fishing nets.Unless regulations are changed, it will continue to be fishing nets.
The plastic in the ocean in largely discarded nets from industrial fishing. The microplastics are the result of these nets breaking down. The “trash islands” are also, you guessed it. Mostly fishing nets and other discarded fishing industry equipment.
Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. Do not let them shift the blame to the individual so they can continue to destroy the planet and our bodies without regulation.
Industries are incredibly resistant to taking responsibility for their own waste, to the point where “consumers are responsible for industrial waste” is somehow considered a sensible, ethical, worthy sentence.
It is actually perfectly reasonable to say that “industries are responsible for industrial waste” and “the effects of industry can, should and must be fixed by industry” and “Industry can, should and must be held responsible for its impacts on the commons, such as air, water, oceans and land.”
