What are microplastics and why are they harmful?

Microplastics: what are they, where do they come from, and their contribution to plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental threats we face today – and one form of it is especially worrying: microplastics. These microscopic plastic particles seem to be everywhere nowadays, from our drinking water to the ocean.

What are microplastics? Where are they coming from? Why are they dangerous? How can we get rid of them? We’ve prepared this overview of microplastics, including the most important things you need to know about them.

What are microplastics?

Plastic particles can come in all sizes and shapes; however, those that are less than five millimeters in length (or about the size of a sesame seed) are considered to be “microplastics.”

Where are microplastics coming from?

There are several different sources of microplastics. They are often released from larger plastic items because plastic doesn’t actually decompose as natural materials do. Instead, it falls apart into microplastics and nanoplastics.

This doesn’t just happen in the landfill or the ocean, where plastic is discarded – many microplastics are being released in our own homes. Microplastics are released into greywater any time synthetic fabrics are washed (including polyester, nylon, acrylic, and others). If you’re a tea drinker who relies on teabags, chances are they are releasing microplastics into your cup. Even that plastic water bottle you’ve been using for a while releases microplastics into your drink.

Sometimes, microplastics are added to products on purpose. While purposefully manufactured microplastics (microbeads) are now banned in rinse-off cosmetics, they can still legally be contained in products such as makeup and other cosmetics.

Why are microplastics dangerous?

The danger of microplastics and their contribution to plastic pollution lies largely in their small size, making them difficult to detect with the naked eye and easy to dismiss. However, it needs to be noted that scientists are only just beginning to understand their dangers, and much more research in the field is needed.

One of the consequences of research is the threat to small marine organisms, which ingest them, have their digestive tracts blocked, and starve to death. As they’re often prey for larger organisms, microplastics make their way up the food chain, potentially harming humans who consume seafood. The finding intensifies this risk that microplastics can tie other toxic chemicals to themselves, which are ingested along with them.

Clearly, the problem with microplastics is about more than just plastic pollution.

How can we get rid of microplastics?

It’s proving very difficult to remove microplastics from the environment because of their size, which is why the best way for us to tackle them is by reducing our production of them – saying no to cosmetics containing microbeads, avoiding synthetic clothing, and eliminating as much plastic (especially single-use) from our lives as possible.