Study explores microplastic pollution

Abstract

Plastic is considered an essential part of our everyday (modern) life. It is durable, inexpensive and has thousands of uses. The invention of plastic has changed the way we dress and package things, among others. This has, however, come at an environmental cost. A staggering amount of waste, including millions of tons of plastic, enters the oceans each year. Recent studies have suggested that the ocean receives an estimated 8 million metric tonnes of plastic waste per year. Plastic debris in our oceans is a complex contaminant of increasing concern. It is now considered one of the significant global challenges facing the marine environment, alongside climate change, biodiversity loss, sea-level rise and ocean acidification. The plastic waste we produce on land that does not get reused or recycled or are poorly managed at waste facilities and may eventually reach the oceans. This happens either through dumping or from runoff through drains and rivers.

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