As if microplastics weren't already causing enough problems for humans and our environment, scientists have found they're now hitching a ride on natural clusters in waterways, allowing them to travel farther distances than previously thought.
What's happening?
A recent study by researchers from Queen Mary University of London discovered that microplastics are now attaching themselves to swiftly moving natural particles known as flocs. These particles, which consist of clusters of organic matter and sediment, enable tiny plastic particles to travel quickly across considerable distances before descending to riverbeds or the ocean bottom.
"Our findings show that even the smallest plastic fragments can move over great distances and settle in unexpected places," said lead author Nan Wu, a Ph.D. student at the university, in a news release. "Understanding this process brings us closer to tackling the widespread issue of plastic pollution and tracking where microplastics are likely to accumulate."
While some devices help remove microplastics from the ocean, such as membrane filtration and magnet technologies, these mostly work to clean plastics from the surface of water.
Unfortunately, according to Copernicus Marine Service, roughly 99% of plastic pollution has settled on the ocean floor or floats beneath the surface. It's harder to access these microplastics and more expensive to clean them up.
However, scientists believe that narrowing down the size of microplastics that hitchhike on the flocs could be vital to predicting how they spread and identifying a way to remove them.
The study found that such microplastics had a definite size range, making it easier to predict their spread and movements.
"It's like needing the right-sized ticket to board a train," explained Wu.
Why are the hitchhiking microplastics concerning?
Despite companies and scientists working overtime to remove plastics from our waterways, it's a herculean task, considering roughly two garbage trucks' worth of plastic enters oceans every minute, according to Oceana, a nonprofit.
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It's estimated that around 358 trillion microplastic particles are floating on the ocean's surface, per CleanHub. Furthermore, an Australian study revealed that there could be as much as 14 million metric tons (over 15 million tons) of microplastics lying on the ocean floor, per CNN.
If microplastics are now finding new ways to cross the oceans, that means they could potentially pollute even more ecosystems and put additional marine animals in danger if they mistake them for food. Plastics also release toxic chemicals into waterways and can disrupt natural carbon and nitrogen cycles.
Finally, plastics have been shown to cause a plethora of health issues in humans, from obesity to reproductive disorders. If humans eat seafood contaminated with microplastics, it could worsen these conditions and put others at risk.
What's being done about this?
The Queen Mary researchers continue to study how plastic pollution impacts our waterways and have called for more rigorous environmental policies to protect marine ecosystems and human health.
Meanwhile, startups and scientists have devised incredible ways to reduce microplastic pollution. From a device that filters microplastics out of laundry to a planet-friendly plant-based plastic, human ingenuity proves we have the tools to clean up our waters.
Ditching plastic food containers, grocery bags, and single-use coffee products is also a great way to help the planet.
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