Activity 3.3.3 – My Plastic Use

Microplastics: The Hidden Pollution Problem in Our Everyday Lives

When people talk about waste, they usually think of trash trucks picking up garbage from the curb. In environmental science, this everyday waste is called municipal solid waste (MSW). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that in 2015, Americans produced about 262 million tons of MSW, or 4.48 pounds per person per day (EPA, 2018). While paper and yard trimmings make up large portions of this waste, the most concerning material is plastic, because it does not break down naturally. Instead, it slowly fragments into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, which are now found in the environment and even in our own bodies (Haab & Haab, n.d.).

What Are Microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, which are roughly the size of a grain of rice. Scientists divide them into two types. Primary microplastics are made intentionally small, such as the microbeads that used to be found in cosmetics or the plastic pellets (“nurdles”) used to manufacture goods. Secondary microplastics come from the breakdown of larger plastic items like bottles, bags, and fishing gear (Haab & Haab, n.d.). Because they don’t decompose, these small fragments keep circulating through the environment for decades.

Research by Haab and Haab (n.d.) with Adventure Scientists found that microplastics are present even in remote North Country waterbodies. Their study showed that inland areas like rivers, lakes, and streams are significant contributors to plastic pollution. Rainfall, stormwater runoff, and wastewater all carry tiny plastic pieces into waterways, where they eventually flow downstream and reach the ocean. This proves that microplastic pollution starts locally but eventually spreads globally.

How Do They Get Everywhere?

Microplastics enter the environment through many normal daily activities. Washing synthetic clothing releases thousands of plastic fibers each time a load of laundry is done. Studies have found that a single wash can shed hundreds of thousands of fibers, depending on the fabric type (Dudas, 2018). These fibers move through wastewater systems and often pass-through filters that can’t catch such small particles. Larger plastics like bottles or bags also break apart over time due to sunlight and wave action, turning into micro-sized fragments that can float across oceans. Scientists have tracked these movements with GPS-equipped buoys and discovered six major ocean garbage patches, including one in the Arctic (“Charting the Garbage Patches of the Sea,” 2019).

Why Are Microplastics a Problem?

The problem with microplastics is that they’re everywhere and they simply don’t go away. Haab and Haab (n.d.) explain that microplastics can carry toxic chemicals such as heavy metals and industrial compounds. When fish, plankton, or shellfish eat them, the plastics and toxins gradually move up the food chain. People can be exposed by eating seafood, drinking contaminated water, or even breathing microscopic fibers in the air.

A recent medical report found polyethylene and PVC microplastics in more than half of artery plaques removed from patients who had surgery for clogged arteries. Those patients were more likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes, or death within a few years, suggesting possible health risks linked to inflammation (Watson, 2024). Although the study could not prove direct harm, it shows how plastic pollution may also be affecting human health, and not just the environmental quality.

What Can We Do About It?

Because microplastics are so small and widespread, cleanup isn’t realistic. Even if we stopped using plastics today, the existing pollution would last for centuries (“Charting the Garbage Patches of the Sea,” 2019). The best solution is prevention. Dudas (2018) suggests adding three new “R’s” to the old slogan: refuse, rethink, and redesign. People can refuse single-use plastics, rethink fast-fashion habits that create fiber pollution, and support redesigning products that can biodegrade or be reused. This is critical if we want to see an improvement on human and environmental health.

Conclusion

Microplastics may be small, but their impact is enormous. They move through waterways, harm wildlife, and are now part of the human environment. What started as a convenience has turned into a global challenge. The work of Haab and Haab reminds us that solving it begins close to home with the choices we make every day. By reducing our plastic use, rethinking what we buy, and supporting better design, we can each play a small role in tackling this immense problem.

My Day of Plastic

This picture shows a lot of the plastic I used in just one day. I didn’t realize how many things I use are made of plastic until I started putting them together for this photo. The Gatorade bottle, food containers, snack tubs, and even the bag under everything are all plastic. My Bombers baseball shirt is made from synthetic material too, which means it’s technically plastic as well. Most of these items are things I use without thinking, but they’ll eventually get thrown away or turn into tiny pieces called microplastics. After learning about this in Dudas (2018), it really hit me how hard it is to avoid plastic in daily life. Doing this activity made me want to reuse what I can and pay more attention to what I buy.

References

Dudas, S. (2018). Microplastics are everywhere [Video]. TEDx Binghampton University. https://youtu.be/jjsrmFUmyh4?si=GKrp0L-0LZLfaFaT

Environmental Protection Agency (EPS). (2018). National overview: Facts and figures on materials, wastes and recycling. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials

Haab, S., & Haab, K. (n.d.). The environmental impacts of microplastics: An investigation of microplastic pollution in North Country waterbodies. Adventure Scientists. https://www.adventurescientists.org/uploads/7/3/9/8/7398741/haabhaab2016_environmental_impacts_of_microplastics.pdf

Plastic Soup Foundation. (2019). Beat the microbead. https://www.beatthemicrobead.org

Van Sebille, E. (2013). Charting the garbage patches of the seas[video]. University of New South Wales.

Van Sebille, E. (2013). Charting the garbage patches of the seas[video]. University of New South Wales. https://youtu.be/M4UK9Yt6A-s?si=pst9jYU0PKDtVspb