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Tab. 1: MicroplasticsMicroplastics is a general term for plastic fragments of various origins up to 5mm in size. Their existence is mainly associated with their presence i… More impact and the UN SustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More development goals. From ref.1
There are (at least) four routes, how (micro)plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More negatively impact the environment and human health:
Entanglement into plastic items can cause the death of marine organisms or impair their vitality. “Ghost gear” – discarded or lost nets that float in the oceans form almost half of the “‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch”.2
Ingestion of (micro)plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More suppresses feeding activity, growth and reproduction. Micro- and nanoplastics enter lymph and blood systems from the intestine, accumulate mainly in the liver, where they cause inflammation and disturb energy and lipid metabolism.3
Sea turtles are a bioindicator of the marine plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More debris problem. From 1970 to 2018, 131 scientific publications reported the ingestion of plastic particles by sea turtles. Turtles in the Pacific Ocean ingest much higher quantities than elsewhere.4
But this is not just an ocean issue. It’s a land issue, too. Plastic kills around 1 percent of dromedary camels. Plastic found in their bodies weighed from three to 64 kilograms. “From the camel’s perspective … if it’s not sand, it’s food,” says the author of the study.5
All marine and terrestrial animals are endangered by (micro)plastic ingestion, including human. However, humans, unlike animals, can avoid plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More consumption in big volumes.
Additives can form up to 70 % of plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More weight. These are first of all plasticizersA plasticizer is a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to decrease its viscosity, o… and fillers, but also flame retardants, antioxidants, colorants, lubricants, etc. These substances are usually not chemically bound in the polymer, but they are part of the composite. Hence, these substances can easily migrate out of the polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. matrix during plastic item use or degradation.
Not only can chemicals migrate out of the plastic object, but they can also migrate inside. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More (DDT) or PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) bind into the polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. matrix and travel together with (micro)plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More. Heavy metalsThe term heavy metal refers to any metallic chemical element that has a relatively high density and is toxic or poisonous at low concentrations. and antibiotics are also of high concern. Even the polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. itself can be a source of chemical pollutionChemical pollutants mostly result from various human activities like the manufacturing, handling, storing, and disposing of chemicals. These occur in … – products of degradation, oligomers and monomers, are especially harmful when halogenated.6
Chemical pollutionChemical pollutants mostly result from various human activities like the manufacturing, handling, storing, and disposing of chemicals. These occur in … driven by (micro)plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More
Greenhouse gases are emitted at each stage of the plastic lifecycle:
If plastic production and use grow as estimated, by 2030, these emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year—equivalent to the emissions released by more than 295 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants.10
The existing plastic economy is fundamentally inconsistent with the Paris Agreement. Greenhouse gasGaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of… More emissions from the plastic might not allow keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C degrees.10
Manufacturers justify plastic as a side-product of fuel production – the carbon footprintSum of greenhouse gas emissions and removals in a product system, expressed as CO2 equivalent, and based on a life cycle assessment. The CO2 equivalen… More of fossil fuel extraction would not disappear even if we eradicated plastic. However, this argument is misleading – we need to reduce fossil fuel extraction and transfer our demands toward green energy and plastic reduction must accompany this goal.
Plastic refining is among the most greenhouse gas-intensive industries in the manufacturing sector—and the fastest growing.10
Plastic is primarily landfilled, recycled, or incinerated. Incineration is the primary driver of emissions from plastic waste management. Globally, the use of incineration in plastic waste management is poised to grow dramatically in the coming decades.10
Unmanaged plastic waste has a climate impact as it degrades. Anaerobic degradation in oceans and landfills leads to the emissions of methaneMethane is a colourless, odourless flammable gas which is the main constituent of natural gas. It is the simplest member of the alkane series of hydro…. Moreover, (micro)plastics pollution interferes with the biggest carbon sinkA carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases – for example, plants, the ocean and soil. In contrast, a ca… – abundance of microplasticsMicroplastics is a general term for plastic fragments of various origins up to 5mm in size. Their existence is mainly associated with their presence i… More in the oceans impairs plankton’s ability to fix carbon through photosynthesis and transport it to the deep ocean.10
The one extra negative effect of (micro)plastic pollution that should not be left out is the social impact. Plastic debris results in loss of revenue among fishermen, harm to marine industries and loss of tourism income.11 As society benefits from the clean and prosperous environment, it should aim to recover it.
1 Walker, T. R. (Micro)plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More and the UN SustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More Development Goals. Current Opinion in Green and SustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More Chemistry. 2021, 30: 100497. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2021.100497.
2 Lebreton, L., B. Slat, F. Ferrari, et al. Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic. Scientific Reports. 2018, 8(1): 4666. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-22939-w.
3 Patil, S., A. Bafana, P. K. Naoghare, et al. Environmental prevalence, fate, impacts, and mitigation of microplastics—a critical review on present understanding and future research scope. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021, 28(5): 4951-4974. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-11700-4.
4 Lynch, J. M. Quantities of Marine Debris Ingested by Sea Turtles: Global Meta-Analysis Highlights Need for Standardized Data Reporting Methods and Reveals Relative Risk. Environmental Science & Technology. 2018, 52(21): 12026-12038. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.8b02848.
5 Asher, J., 2020. Plastic waste forms huge, deadly masses in camel guts. 15. 12. 2020. [cit. 28.4., 2021.] Dostupné z: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/camel-eating-plastic-trash-waste-deadly-masses.
6 Schmid, C., L. Cozzarini and E. Zambello. Microplastic’s story. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2020: 111820. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111820.
7 Browne, Mark A., Stewart J. Niven, Tamara S. Galloway, et al. Microplastic Moves Pollutants and Additives to Worms, Reducing Functions Linked to Health and Biodiversity. Current Biology. 2013, 23(23): 2388-2392. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.012.
8 Wei, W., Q.-S. Huang, J. Sun, et al. Polyvinyl Chloride MicroplasticsMicroplastics is a general term for plastic fragments of various origins up to 5mm in size. Their existence is mainly associated with their presence i… More Affect MethaneMethane is a colourless, odourless flammable gas which is the main constituent of natural gas. It is the simplest member of the alkane series of hydro… Production from the Anaerobic DigestionIn anaerobic digestion, organic matter is degraded by a microbial population in the absence of oxygen and producing methane and carbon dioxide (= biog… More of Waste Activated Sludge through Leaching Toxic Bisphenol-AMonomer used to produce different polymers. BPA is said to cause health problems, due to the fact that is behaves like a hormone. Therefore, it is ban… More. Environmental Science & Technology. 2019, 53(5): 2509-2517. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.8b07069.
9 Hahladakis, J. N., C. A. Velis, R. Weber, et al. An overview of chemical additives present in plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More: Migration, release, fate and environmental impact during their use, disposal and recycling. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2018, 344: 179-199. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.10.014.
10 Kistler, A. and C. Muffett, 2019. Plastic & Climate, The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet. www.ciel.org/plasticandclimate
11 Pham, T.-H., H.-T. Do, L.-A. Phan Thi, et al. Global challenges in microplasticsMicroplastics is a general term for plastic fragments of various origins up to 5mm in size. Their existence is mainly associated with their presence i… More: From fundamental understanding to advanced degradations toward sustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More strategies. Chemosphere. 2021, 267: 129275. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129275.
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