The term microplastics was introduced in the mid-2000s and used to describe plastic particles that measure less than 5 mm in size. Some microplastics are intentionally produced at that size for specific applications like microbeads in personal care products, or secondary microplastics, which result from the degradation and fragmentation of larger plastic items and can also originate from sources like synthetic fibres from clothing and the abrasion of car tires.
With their proliferation over time, microplastics have become a cause of environmental and health concerns. They have been found in varying degrees in humans and animals and have also been detected in some of the remotest parts of the earth, including the Arctic ice sheets. A scientific journal publication titled, ‘Microplastics in the Northwestern Pacific’ published in Science of the Total Environment journal estimates that between 1993 and 2019, microplastics in the world’s oceans increased between two and 2.5 times. Furthermore, more than five trillion plastic scraps and 250 million tons of plastics eventually float into the ocean due to industrial emissions and surface runoffs.
ET OnlineMenace to marine ecologies
Although the research on the impact of microplastics on marine life and ecology is ongoing, their influence on marine ecosystems is fairly well established. Microplastics are among the biggest reasons for coral bleaching. Their harmful effect has been discovered even at embryonic and larval stages. Microplastics have the ability to accumulate and concentrate toxic substances from the surrounding environment, such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. As marine organisms consume microplastics, these pollutants can be transferred and magnified through the food chain’.
Microplastics and human health
Microplastics make their way into the human bloodstream directly through products that use microplastics as an active ingredient or through secondary sources such as drinking water or the food chain. Several consumer products such as cosmetics and paints, or medicinal hygiene products such as sanitary pads, have been found to use microplastics as active ingredients. In fact, they have been a constituent ingredient in toiletries and cosmetics for over half a century. Evidence of microplastics have been found in everyday products which humans use, including tea, sugar and honey. Microplastics have even made their way into fruits, vegetables and even salt and sugar. Over time, microplastics have gradually entered the food chain and drinking water supplies and contemporary filtration mechanisms have proven ineffective against them.
At the cellular level, microplastics’ potential impacts include permanent alterations to cell structures, mutations and chronic toxicity. They are also a known source of carcinogens and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, apart from damaging lung tissue. Perhaps, the most concerning health implication of microplastics is the fact that some forms of microplastics, such as by-products from polyvinyl chlorides, could potentially alter the very composition of human DNA.
Fight against microplastics requires global effort
Reducing plastic waste through recycling and waste management, promoting the use of biodegradable and compostable alternatives to conventional plastics, and raising awareness about the environmental impact of plastics are all strategies to reduce microplastic pollution.
Many governments are waking up to their role in ending plastic pollution and the United Nations are in the process of agreeing upon an internationally binding treaty on plastic reduction. While the US does not have a federal law banning the use of plastics, many US states ban the use of single-use plastics, including plastic shopping bags and plastic straws. In Europe, since July 2021, single-use plastics were banned from all of the EU member states. In India, under the ‘plastic waste management rules’ there was a legal ban on the use of single-use plastics since July 2021. The ban states that, “no person shall manufacture, stock, distribute or sell any carry bags made of virgin or recyclable plastics.” However, the implementation of the ban is not uniform across the country.
Individual consumers, too, can take steps to reduce the use of plastics and microplastics by making conscious choices to reduce single use plastics, choose personal care products that are microplastics-free, buy products with biodegradable or compostable packaging and raise awareness among family, friends, and colleagues.
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released a report in March 2023 which examines various economic and business models needed to address the impacts of the plastic economy. The report incorporates several recommendations to reduce the use of plastics besides accelerating the shift towards reuse, recycle, reorient and diversify model for businesses and the industry in general.
However, in order to implement these changes as per the report, there is a concerted and unified effort required from businesses, regulators and individuals.
(Author is Partner, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, EY India)