Plastic pollution: Difference between revisions

'''Plastic pollution''' is the accumulation of [[plastic]] objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and [[microbead]]s) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1589019/plastic-pollution |title=Plastic pollution |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=1 August 2013}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516224226/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 May 2018 |title=We Depend on Plastic. Now We're Drowning in It. |author=Laura Parker |date=June 2018 |website=[[NationalGeographic.com]] |access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref> Plastics that act as [[pollutant]]s are categorized by size into micro-, meso-, or macro debris.<ref name="plastics in marine environment">{{Cite book |last1=Hammer|first1=J|last2=Kraak|first2=MH|last3=Parsons|first3=JR|title=Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology|chapter=Plastics in the Marine Environment: The Dark Side of a Modern Gift|date=2012|volume=220|pages=1–44|doi=10.1007/978-1-4614-3414-6_1|pmid=22610295|isbn=978-1461434139|s2cid=5842747}}</ref> Plastics are inexpensive and durable, making them very adaptable for different uses; as a result, manufacturers choose to use plastic over other materials.<ref>Hester, Ronald E.; Harrison, R. M. (editors) (2011). [https://books.google.com/books?id=TCfYfIDymd8C&pg=PA84 Marine Pollution and Human Health]. Royal Society of Chemistry. pp. 84–85. {{ISBN|184973240X}}</ref> However, the chemical structure of most plastics renders them resistant to many natural processes of [[environmental degradation|degradation]] and as a result they are slow to degrade.<ref name="Plastic Pollution">{{cite web |title=When The Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide|last1=Le Guern|first1=Claire|date=March 2018|website=Coastal Care|url=https://coastalcare.org/2020/01/plastic-pollution-when-the-mermaids-cry-the-great-plastic-tide-by-claire-le-guern/ }}</ref> Together, these two factors allow large volumes of plastic to enter the environment as mismanaged [[waste]] which persists in the [[ecosystem]] and travels throughout [[Food web|food webs]].<ref name="Worm"/><ref name="Ong"/>

 

 

Some researchers suggest that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by weight.<ref name="Sutter">{{cite web|last=Sutter|first=John D.|date=12 December 2016|title=How to stop the sixth mass extinction|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/world/sutter-vanishing-help/|access-date=18 September 2017|work=CNN}}</ref> Living organisms, particularly [[Marine life|marine animals]], can be harmed either by mechanical effects such as entanglement in plastic objects, problems related to ingestion of plastic waste, or through exposure to chemicals within plastics that interfere with their [[physiology]]. 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 [[hormone|hormonal]] mechanisms.<ref name="Ziani">{{cite journal |last1=Ziani |first1=K |last2=Ioniță-Mîndrican |first2=CB |last3=Mititelu |first3=M |last4=Neacșu |first4=SM |last5=Negrei |first5=C |last6=Moroșan |first6=E |last7=Drăgănescu |first7=D |last8=Preda |first8=OT |title=Microplastics: A Real Global Threat for Environment and Food Safety: A State of the Art Review. |journal=Nutrients |date=25 January 2023 |volume=15 |issue=3 |page=617 |doi=10.3390/nu15030617 |pmid=36771324 |pmc=9920460 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

As of 2019, 368''&nbsp;''million tonnes of plastic is produced each year; 51% in Asia, where China is the world's largest producer.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.plasticseurope.org/application/files/8016/1125/2189/AF_Plastics_the_facts-WEB-2020-ING_FINAL.pdf |title=Plastics – the Facts 2020 |access-date=6 October 2021 |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901235830/https://www.plasticseurope.org/application/files/8016/1125/2189/AF_Plastics_the_facts-WEB-2020-ING_FINAL.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> From the 1950s up to 2018, an estimated 6.3''&nbsp;''billion tonnes of plastic has been produced worldwide, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12% has been [[incinerated]].<ref name="economist.com">{{cite news |title=The known unknowns of plastic pollution |url=https://www.economist.com/news/international/21737498-so-far-it-seems-less-bad-other-kinds-pollution-about-which-less-fuss-made |access-date=17 June 2018 |newspaper=The Economist |date=3 March 2018}}</ref> This large amount of plastic waste enters the environment and causes problems throughout the ecosystem; for example, studies suggest that the bodies of 90% of seabirds contain plastic debris.<ref name=":16">{{cite web |url=https://globalnomadic.com/turning-rubbish-into-money-environmental-innovation-leads-the-way/|title=Turning rubbish into money – environmental innovation leads the way|first=Global|last=Nomadic|date=29 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="plasticizer" /> In some areas there have been significant efforts to reduce the prominence of free range plastic pollution, through reducing plastic consumption, litter cleanup, and promoting [[plastic recycling]].<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.02.014|title = A call for Canada to move toward zero plastic waste by reducing and recycling single-use plastics| journal=Resources, Conservation and Recycling| volume=133| pages=99–100|year = 2018|last1 = Walker|first1 = Tony R.| last2=Xanthos| first2=Dirk|s2cid = 117378637}}</ref><ref name=":17">{{cite web |url=https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/picking-litter-pointless-exercise-or-powerful-tool-battle-beat-plastic |title=Picking up litter: Pointless exercise or powerful tool in the battle to beat plastic pollution? |author=<!--Not stated-->|date=18 May 2018 |website=unenvironment.org |access-date=19 July 2019}}</ref>

 

 

The amount of plastic waste produced increased during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] due to increased demand for [[Personal protective equipment|protective equipment]] and packaging materials.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shams |first1=Mehnaz |last2=Alam |first2=Iftaykhairul |last3=Mahbub |first3=Md Shahriar |date=October 2021 |title=Plastic pollution during COVID-19: Plastic waste directives and its long-term impact on the environment |journal=Environmental Advances |volume=5 |pages=100119 |doi=10.1016/j.envadv.2021.100119 |issn=2666-7657 |pmc=8464355 |pmid=34604829|bibcode=2021EnvAd...500119S }}</ref> Higher amounts of plastic ended up in the ocean, especially plastic from medical waste and masks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ana |first=Silva |year=2021 |title=Increased Plastic Pollution Due to Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Recommendations. |journal=Chemical Engineering Journal |volume=405 |page=126683 |doi=10.1016/j.cej.2020.126683 |pmc=7430241 |pmid=32834764|bibcode=2021ChEnJ.40526683P }}</ref><ref name="Euronews Bubble Barrier" /> Several news reports point to a plastic industry trying to take advantage of the health concerns and desire for [[Disposable product|disposable]] masks and packaging to increase production of single use plastic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-13 |title=Plastics industry adapts to business during COVID-19 |url=https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/plastics-industry-adapts-business-during-covid-19 |access-date=2021-12-18 |website=Plastics News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plastic in the time of a pandemic: protector or polluter? |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/plastic-pollution-waste-pandemic-covid19-coronavirus-recycling-sustainability/ |access-date=2021-12-18 |website=World Economic Forum |date=6 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Monella |first=Lillo Montalto |date=2020-05-12 |title=Will plastic pollution get worse after the COVID-19 pandemic? |url=https://www.euronews.com/2020/05/12/will-plastic-pollution-get-worse-after-the-covid-19-pandemic |access-date=2021-12-18 |website=euronews |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Westervelt |first=Amy |author-link=Amy Westervelt|date=2020-01-14 |title=Big Oil Bets Big on Plastic |url=https://drillednews.com/big-oil-bets-big-on-plastic/ |access-date=2021-12-18 |website=Drilled News |language=en-US |archive-date=18 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218161024/https://drillednews.com/big-oil-bets-big-on-plastic/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A 2017 study found that 83% of tap water samples taken around the world contained plastic pollutants.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_plastics|title=Invisibles|website=orbmedia.org|access-date=15 September 2017|archive-date=6 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906172409/https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_plastics|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_final_report|title=Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Global Drinking Water|website=orbmedia.org|access-date=19 September 2017}}</ref> This was the first study to focus on global [[Water quality|drinking water pollution]] with plastics,<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://phys.org/news/2017-09-plastic.html|title=Your tap water may contain plastic, researchers warn (Update)|access-date=15 September 2017}}</ref> and showed that with a contamination rate of 94%, tap water in the [[United States]] was the most polluted, followed by [[Lebanon]] and [[India]]. European countries such as the [[United Kingdom]], [[Germany]] and [[France]] had the lowest contamination rate, though still as high as 72%.<ref name=":1" /> This means that people may be ingesting between 3,000 and 4,000 [[microparticle]]s of plastic from tap water per year.<ref name=":2" /> The analysis found particles of more than 2.5 microns in size, which is 2500 times bigger than a [[nanometer]]. It is currently unclear if this contamination is affecting human health, but if the water is also found to contain nano-particle pollutants, there could be adverse impacts on human well-being, according to scientists associated with the study.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals|title=Plastic fibres found in tap water around the world, study reveals |first=Damian |last=Carrington |date=5 September 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 September 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

 

 

==== In terrestrial ecosystems ====

 

===== Carotid arteries =====

Another research found that amounts of [[polyethylene]] were found in the plaque tissues of 150 people who underwent [[carotid endarterectomy]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2024 |title=Nanoplastics linked to heart attack, stroke and early death, study finds |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/06/health/nanoplastics-heart-attack-study-wellness/index.html |website=CNN Health}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 March 2024 |title=Can plastic pollution damage our heart health? Study shows microplastics raises heart attack risk |url=https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/03/08/can-plastic-pollution-damage-our-heart-health-study-shows-microplastics-raises-heart-attac |website=Euronews}}</ref>

 

===== Breast milk =====

 

=== Disease ===

 

{{See also|Category:Organisms breaking down plastic}}

 

=== Incineration ===

 

The export of plastic waste from rich countries to poorer countries has been well documented.

 

There have been several international covenants which address marine plastic pollution, such as the [[London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter|Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972]], the [[MARPOL 73/78|International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973]] and the Honolulu Strategy, there is nothing around plastics which infiltrate the ocean from the land.<ref name="Farrelly">{{Cite journal |last1=Farrelly |first1=Trisia |author-link=Trisia Farrelly |last2=Green |first2=Laura |date=2020-05-11 |title=The Global Plastic Pollution Crisis: how should New Zealand respond? |url=https://ojs.victoria.ac.nz/pq/article/view/6484 |journal=Policy Quarterly |language=en |volume=16 |issue=2 |doi=10.26686/pq.v16i2.6484 |issn=2324-1101 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Honolulu Strategy |url=https://www.unep.org/resources/report/honolulu-strategy |website=UNEP - UN Environment Programme |language=en |date=31 August 2017}}</ref>

* [[Burning]]

* [[Eddy pumping]] – The role of mesoscale eddies in trapping and transporting plastic in the ocean

* [[Plastic-eating organisms]]

* [[Marine plastic pollution]]