Plastics and their effect on the environment is something
that is currently being analyzed by science. Large pieces of plastic can become
obstructions in the marine environment to both humans and marine organisms.
Micro-Plastics:
Other than the larger plastic materials in the
environment, something that must be taken into account is the less visible
impact of plastic on the environment. Micro-plastics
are tiny plastic granules and fragments that come from broken down macro-plastics
and other materials such as cosmetics and cleaners. Micro-plastics enter marine environments via,
rivers, waste-systems, industrial drainage systems and other avenues. Due to
the small size of these plastics as well as their prevalence in the environment,
they are ingested by a wide variety of organisms along the food-chain. This has the potential to eventually affect humans
as these toxic materials travel up the food-chain.
The effect that these micro-plastics have on the
environment is still being analyzed. As
stated before, micro-plastics can be consumed by very small organisms because
of the small size of the material. This
has potential to cause toxic responses in the organisms which can potentially
effect humans. There is still much to be understood about micro-plastics and their
impact on the environment. One thing is
clear and that is that there is potential for negative impacts on the food-web
as marine biota consume these plastic fragments.
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