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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 are ubiquitous in the environment. Most of the 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 originate in macroplastics fragmentation. Plastic pollution and the 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 problem are tightly linked.
PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More started as a cheap but durable materials replacing natural sources. In 1909, bakelite, the first synthetic polymerA polymer is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. entering mass manufacturing, was developed by Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland. Several decades later, plastic products became daily-used and their low price allowed them to become single-use. In 2019, 368 million tons of plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More have been produced. It is approximately the same weight as of all people on this planet. Only 1 million ton was labelled biodegradableBiodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi..3
in Mt per Year
No Data Found
Fig. 1: PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More production in Mt (million tons) in years. There’s a clear growth in plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More consumption. Data from https://www.plasticseurope.org/
By 2015, 8 300 Mt (=8 300 000 000 tons) of plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More have been produced globally. Only 9 % of it was recycled, 12 % incinerated, and the rest (if discarded) was landfilled or littered to an open environment.4
By 2019, almost 10 billion tons of plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More have been produced. That’s the same weight as 1 million Eiffel towers, 100 million blue whales, the amount of food wasted
If we don’t change our habits, the plastic waste doubles by 2050.2, 4
Plastic is the most common type of marine litterFollowing the European Commission’s definition, “marine litter consists of items that have been deliberately discarded, unintentionally lost, or t… More.6 Over 20 000 tons of plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More end up in the oceans every day.7 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 marine environments have been massively studied. However, their quantification is still problematic. The estimated amount 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 seawater is between zero and 400 particles per cubic meter.7
11 billion plastic items are estimated to be entangled in coral reefs, which impairs the fitness of the corals.7
In 2015, scientists sampled Arctic deep-sea sediment and found 42–6595 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/kg. 80 % of the plastic particles were smaller than 25 µm.8
GPGP is a major ocean plastic accumulation zone formed in subtropical waters between California and Hawaii. 45–129 thousand tons of ocean plastic are floating inside an area of 1.6 million km2. Over three quarters of the GPGP items is debris larger than 5 cm and at least 46 % is comprised of fishing nets.
Microplastics are so light, they can be transported by the air for long distances. Hence, 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 can be found in remote places like the Tibetan plain. In Paris, 118 microplastic particles/m2/day were found in the air on average. Higher concentration was found indoors.7 However, limited data are available on levels 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 air.
According to some estimates, soils carry 4more 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 than oceans. However, sufficient quantitative data about 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 is missing especially for soil ecosystems. The highest amount 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 were found close to roads in industrial districts of Sydney – 7 weight percent. While Swiss protected forest areas contained only 0,0055 % 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.10 Chinese studies report from 16 to 18 760 microplastic particles per kilogram of agricultural soil.11, 12
Sea turtles became a symbol of marine plastic pollution.13 However, even animals on land are not protected from this threat – 1 % of camels die of plastic clogging their intestines.14 PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More ingested by various animals accumulate in their bodies and are transferred through the food chain. Thus, top predators are the main endangered by (micro)plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More ingestion. Human is one of them.
Safe drinking water is high on the political agenda – being a target of 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 of the UN. Czech scientist tested water from three Czech water sources and showed that 1 liter of treated drinking water carries 340–630 microplastic particles.15
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 are very often found in fish, seafood, but also salt, honey, etc.7
1 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.
2 Lebreton, L. and A. Andrady. Future scenarios of global plastic waste generation and disposal. Palgrave Communications. 2019, 5(1): 6. doi: 10.1057/s41599-018-0212-7.
3 BioplasticsBioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics: • Plastics based on renewable resour… More, E., 2019. BioplasticsBioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics: • Plastics based on renewable resour… More market data 2019 [WWW document]. https://www.european-bioplastics.org/market/
4 Geyer, R., J. R. Jambeck and K. L. Law. Production, use, and fate of all plasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More ever made. Science Advances. 2017, 3(7): e1700782. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700782.
5 Zaman, A. and P. Newman. PlasticsMaterials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. More: are they part of the zero-wasteThe conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without b… agenda or the toxic-waste agenda? 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 Earth. 2021, 4(1): 4. doi: 10.1186/s42055-021-00043-8.
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 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.
8 Bergmann, M., V. Wirzberger, T. Krumpen, et al. High Quantities of Microplastic in Arctic Deep-Sea Sediments from the HAUSGARTEN Observatory. Environmental Science & Technology. 2017, 51(19): 11000-11010. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03331.
9 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.
10 Fojt, J., J. David, R. Přikryl, et al. A critical review of the overlooked challenge of determining micro-bioplastics in soil. Science of The Total Environment. 2020, 745: 140975. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140975.
11 Fei, Y., S. Huang, H. Zhang, et al. Response of soil enzyme activities and bacterial communities to the accumulation 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 an acid cropped soil. Science of The Total Environment. 2020, 707: 135634. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135634.
12 Ding, L., S. Zhang, X. Wang, et al. The occurrence and distribution characteristics 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 agricultural soils of Shaanxi Province, in north-western China. Science of The Total Environment. 2020, 720: 137525. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137525.
13 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.
14 Eriksen, M., A. Lusher, M. Nixon and U. Wernery. The plight of camels eating plastic waste. Journal of Arid Environments. 2021, 185: 104374. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2020.104374.
15 Pivokonsky, M., L. Cermakova, K. Novotna, et al. Occurrence 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 raw and treated drinking water. Sci Total Environ. 2018, 643: 1644-1651. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.102.
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