Microplastics are microscopic. That’s why you don’t notice the thousands of microplastics that flake off when you open up a bag of chips or a plastic bottle. It sounds disgusting, right? These tiny pieces of plastic range from 0.001 to 5 millimeters in size and are usually formed directly or when large plastic debris break up.
Millions of tons of microplastics are found all over the world, harming marine life by entering their food chain, and although the effects on human health are unclear, they’ve also entered our food chain.
Cheng Fang from Australia’s University of Newcastle said, “plastic is everywhere and enters our daily lives – and microplastics might be there as well.”
He and his team went on a quest to find out whether everyday activities could release microplastic particles. They studied plastic items that are used globally on a regular basis, including bottles, bags, and packaging film by twisting off the bottle cap or cutting the bag with scissors, a knife, or tearing it. These actions deform and fracture the plastic, resulting in bits flaking off. Read more…
