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Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. [1] [2] Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized by size into micro-, meso-, or macro debris. [3]
Humans are exposed to toxic chemicals and microplastics at all stages in the plastics life cycle. Microplastics' effects on human health are of growing concern and an area of research. The tiny particles known as microplastics (MPs), have been found in various environmental and biological matrices, including air, water, food, and human tissues.
Plastic’s versatility, durability, and low weight-to-strength ratio have made it an efficient material for many of life’s modern conveniences. However, by their nature, plastics can break down ...
This process of breaking down large plastic material into much smaller pieces is known as fragmentation. [30] It is considered that microplastics might further degrade to be smaller in size, although the smallest microplastic reportedly detected in the oceans in 2017 was 1.6 micrometres (6.3×10 −5 in) in diameter. [ 32 ]
The plastisphere is a human-made ecosystem consisting of organisms able to live on plastic waste. Plastic marine debris , most notably microplastics , accumulates in aquatic environments and serves as a habitat for various types of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi.
A plastic handle from a kitchen utensil, deformed by heat and partially melted. One important classification of plastics is the degree to which the chemical processes used to make them are reversible or not. Thermoplastics do not undergo chemical change in their composition when heated and thus can be molded repeatedly.
“The answer to our plastic problem is not to create a new stream of need for more plastics, with potentially harmful effects, but it should be to limit single-use plastics, turning off the tap ...
Plasticosis is a form of fibrotic scarring that is caused by small pieces of plastic which inflame the digestive tract.. A 2023 study by Hayley Charlton-Howard, Alex Bond, Jack Rivers-Auty, and Jennifer Lavers, found that plastic pollution caused disease in seabirds.