World facing a new problem,micro-plastic pollution. Micro-plastic is small plastic pieces less than five millimetres long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life.
By 2018 micro-plastic had been found in 114 aquatic species digestive tract and tissue. In invertebrates including crustaceans and crabs. This leads to consuming less food, thus less energy to carry out life function and results in neurological and reproductive toxicity.
Plastic consists of carbon and hydrogen in the polymer chain and other chemical compounds such as poly-brominate di-phenyl (PBDEs) and tetra-bromobis-phenol A(TBBPA). Microplastics are classified as primary and secondary microplastics. Primary plastics are microbeads in plastic pellets, industrial manufacturer and plastic fibre in synthetic textile will directly affect living organisms. Secondary micro-plastic where the large size plastics are broken due to wind, wave, sunlight and heat.
This micro-plastic looks like food for Aquatic species. This may lead to the extinction of species and reduce the ability to produce eggs and sperms for reproduction. These plastics remain in the gut of fishes and not move to tissues so the consumption of fish will not affect human health. Also, these micro-plastics are floating in the air cause respiratory problems.
If micro-plastics are further breaking into Nano-plastic can penetrate cells and move into tissue and organ. This result in emerging of new diseases. The only way to safeguard the world from plastic is to recycle, reuse, reduce.
Credits: Hemarajee
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