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“By understanding these sources, we can work with the relevant stakeholders.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A brand-new study from the University of Toronto figuratively drove home the insidious threat of microplastics, The Canadian Press reported (via CityNews), quantifying the scale of the problem in terms even those unfamiliar with the metric system could grasp.
One of the most well-known attributes of microplastics — plastic particles smaller than five millimeters — is their shockingly pervasive presence.
The study’s authors investigated Toronto’s highly urbanized Don River, which flows into Lake Ontario, to determine how thoroughly microplastics had infiltrated its waters.
The fact that microplastics originate from the inevitable degradation of all plastic products is well understood, but researchers have been working hard to identify their pathways.
Microplastic pathways are the ways in which microplastics enter the environment and living organisms, and locating these routes is critical to limit their reach and impact.
The peer-reviewed journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A published the study on Oct. 23. Its authors noted that urban rivers are considered to be a likely route for microplastics to enter lakes and oceans, particularly after heavy rains.
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Researchers sampled water, vegetation, sediment, and larger plastic debris (macroplastic), and their findings were jarring. The authors estimated that the Don River carried about 522 billion microplastic particles to Lake Ontario each year.
Worryingly, they determined that, by mass, that was approximately 36,000 kilograms of microplastic — a weight roughly equivalent to that of “18 cars worth,” per CityNews. A scant 160 kilograms of macroplastic pollution occurred in the same period, demonstrating the ubiquity of the issue.
“I was pretty shocked to see that levels that we see here are more on par with places that don’t have as good of waste management,” co-author and plastic expert Chelsea Rochman said, per The Canadian Press.
In particular, the difference between microplastic levels and macroplastic levels illustrated the problem.
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One reason microplastics are “everywhere” is their diminutive size, often invisible to the naked eye. Microplastics can’t be fished out by beach cleanup volunteers, nor can we see them.
Because plastic can take centuries to break down, microplastics don’t just travel to or settle in the world’s most remote reaches. They accumulate in the environment and in living things.
Microplastics pose a threat to the environment, wildlife, and human health. Adverse health outcomes associated with microplastics include vascular issues and cognitive impacts, and researchers have linked them to the development of some cancers.
Research such as the University of Toronto study is a crucial step to combating microplastic pollution.
“By understanding these sources, we can work with the relevant stakeholders to turn off the tap,” Rochman explained.
Policy changes take time, but individuals can limit their risk by using less plastic and replacing everyday items with plastic-free alternatives.
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