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An Environmental Initiative by Shona S. Ray
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Educate Yourself on Microplastics:
Key Facts
What are Microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5mm in size. There are two main types of microplastics, primary and secondary. Primary microplastics are already 5mm or less in size when they enter the environment. Secondary microplastics form when large pieces of plastic break down. Pieces of plastic like water bottles, food containers, and packaging materials can break off into “micro” particles due to weathering, UV radiation, and other environmental factors.
Where are microplastics found?
Microplastics are found in heavily polluted areas, such as oceans and the air. The microplastics found in oceans are so small that sea creatures eat them and some animals which humans eat, such as different types of fish and crustaceans carry the plastics into the human body! Nanoplastics (smaller breakdowns of microplastics) are found in the air and form from oil or gas, which are large air pollutants.
Why are microplastics bad?
Microplastics are not just detrimental to animal health and our ecosystems. In the human body, they can cause an increase in swelling, cell damage, and immune system reactions that lead to serious illnesses.
Learn more, educate others
Microplastics in Numbers
9 in 10
cosmetics contain microplastics
11 billion
plastic particles released from high-end teabags
1.3 million
metric tons of 4 microplastic sources polluting the ocean
70,000
is the amount of microplastics an average American ingests from drinking water
Want to learn more?
How can you learn more about microplastics? Start with these resources.
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- Look-out in London!After travelling to London for spring break I was on the look-out for some environmentally friendly things I found. Please take a look at the pictures below! Second, please watch this video by BBC Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1wmSJsxk3w Doughnut Time, provided usContinue reading “Look-out in London!”
- “Where do I start?”It’s great that I’m writing about the threats of microplastics to educate others. However, as a reader, you may be wondering where to start. The information can be overwhelming because almost every food you consume contains harmful microplastics. However, thisContinue reading ““Where do I start?””
The animation above was made on Flippa Clip by Shona Ray
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Protect your body, save the planet – Say no to microplastics.
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