![]() Lastly, microfibers which are shed into the water ways every time we wash our synthetic clothing like polyester, acrylic, and fleece. Let’s hope this becomes a reality! microfibers: Michelin has just introduced a biodegradeable and 3-D printed tire that would last forever. It’s probably time for the tire to get a makeover… which it has. But, even if you’re taking public busses or biking there’s still a problem with tires shedding microplastic pieces. Our tires go bald due to the friction of driving.Īs they go bald, they lose tiny bits of tires which are left on the roadways which eventually make their way to the storm drains which lead out to the sea. Leyla Acaroglu an industrial designer and sociologist dropped this piece of knowledge that tires are the number one source of microplastic pollution in the ocean.Īccording the the Guardian, “68,000 tonnes of microplastics from tyre tread abrasion are generated in the UK every year, with between 7,000 and 19,000 tonnes entering surface waters.” I was attending the Sustainability Forum at the Phoenix Open when Dr. Opt for microbead free products which should be very easy, since most products aren’t manufactured with them anymore. In 2017 a ban passed at the federal level adding the US to a long list of countries that have banned the bead. I was surprised to learn the first state to ban microbeads was Illinois back in 2014. In large part, it would be pretty difficult to find products with microbeads in them now, but they were a major contributor to microplastics in the ocean. This one donates portions of the sales to Greenpeace International. But, they do make biodegradable glitter which is made from cellulose so it breaks down very quickly once you was it off. I’m not sure I’ve every been in a situation, where I just HAD to use glitter. Because, glitter is so small, it can’t be filtered out making it’s way out to the ocean.įirst, ask yourself if you really need to use glitter? When you go to wash all of that glitter off of your body, it goes straight down the drain and into the water ways. Glitter face masks, sunscreens, festival makeup looks…. Some of the other prevalent forms of microplastics are tires and microfibers from clothing. Instead, over time, it becomes brittle and it breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces until it’s so small it’s a microplastic or nanoplastic.īut, some plastic starts out already small like glitter and microbeads. Some plastics are born microplastics and others become microplastics. what’s a microplastic?Ī microplastic is an extremely small piece of plastic on average 3mm-5mm. “Mason says her team has found environmental contaminants that are known carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in higher concentrations in plastic particles relative to the water.” Read MoreĬheck out this blog post on the problem with plastic. In addition to what’s in them, microplastics have also been found to attract pesticides and other toxic chemicals in water. “While microplastics may physically harm organisms, there’s also concern that they could leach chemicals such as plasticizers, UV stabilizers, flame retardants, and colorants. “Some laboratory studies have found that microplastics can interfere with feeding, digestion, and reproduction in several aquatic species. You can read more in this study.īeyond plastic’s hormone interfering properties, another study was released where plastic acts as a sponge for bacteria. Synthetic estrogens are known to cause problems like obesity, cancer, and infertility. Plastic is a known endocrine disruptor, often masquerading as estrogen in the body, which interferes with our hormones/bodies communication system. Without any long term studies, we really don’t know what this is doing to our bodies. Plastic has currently found its way through the food chain.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |