The worrying reality of microplastics

With the increase in global plastic production, which is expected to peak in 2027,  it has become increasingly difficult to prevent microplastics - plastic particles smaller than 5mm - from entering our planet's diverse ecosystems. Today, we can find this type of waste in our oceans, rivers, soil and even in the air, which makes this problem not only alarming for the health of the Earth, but also for the human health.

According to an estimate by United Nations, about eight million tons of plastic end up in our oceans annually and, the vast majority of them, end up becoming microplastics, microplastics that can be found in a multitude of environments and that come from various sources, including personal hygiene products, synthetic fabrics, plastic waste and worn tires.

But, after all, what are the risks to human health? When ingested by marine animals, for example, microplastics can accumulate along the food chain and reach our plates, causing damage to our nervous, hormonal and immune systems. Furthermore, microplastics have also been detected in rain, which means that, even if unconsciously, we are breathing these residues.

Fortunately, there are measures that can be taken to tackle this major problem. Firstly, it is important reduce the amount of plastic produced and used. This measure is increasingly observed in certain countries, such as Portugal, where packaging and other types of single-use plastic products have begun to be replaced by greener alternatives, whether made of paper, bamboo, wood, etc. On the other hand, public policies that encourage recycling can also be adopted, such as, for example, a tax on this category of products. It is also very important to support awareness of the population for this topic, but the effort must come, at the same time, from the industry, which, as we mentioned in the our World Water Day article, is largely responsible for ocean pollution.

Furthermore, it is extremely important to strengthen the supervision and monitoring of the presence of microplastics in different ecosystems, with the aim of better understanding this problem and developing new solutions, such as, for example, waste treatment technologies that are capable of removing microplastics from different materials. 

In conclusion, how reported by World Economic Forum, in May of this year a new negotiation about the UN Plastics Treaty, the global treaty against plastic pollution, which represents an opportunity to review measures and policies adopted in relation to this problem and it is necessary that governments, companies and society work together to address this urgent issue by adopting more sustainable practices in relation to the use of plastic.