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Degraded plastic waste can directly affect humans through direct consumption (i.e. in tap water), indirect consumption (by eating plants and animals), and disruption of various hormonal mechanisms. [12] As of 2019, 368 million tonnes of plastic is produced each year; 51% in Asia, where China is the world's largest producer. [13]
A substantial portion of microplastics are expected to end up in the world's soil, yet very little research has been conducted on microplastics in soil outside of aquatic environments. [158] In wetland environments microplastic concentrations have been found to exhibit a negative correlation with vegetation cover and stem density. [ 149 ]
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.
In Ross’ research in mice, for example, the scientists used plastic particles that were “clean,” meaning that they did not have any of the known toxic chemicals found in many plastics and ...
Plastic that does not reach a recycling facility or landfill, accumulates in marine environments due to accidental dumping of the waste, losses during transport, or direct disposal from ships. [19] In 2010, it was estimated that 4 to 12 million metric tons (Mt) of plastic waste entered into marine ecosystems.
As plastic breaks down over time, it degrades into smaller and smaller bits ‒ eventually small enough to slip inside the human body. Most of the plastics the scientists found in brain, kidney ...
As global plastic production has ramped up in the last 20 years, so too has the concentration of these shredded, fossil fuel-derived polymers in human tissue samples.
The best known of these is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which has the highest density of marine debris and plastic. The Pacific Garbage patch has two mass buildups: the western garbage patch and the eastern garbage patch, the former off the coast of Japan and the latter between California and Hawaii .