Substantial presence of microplastics have been found along the Eastern Arabian Sea, with maximum presence of these pollutants off Mumbai, Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) and Goa coasts, shows a latest study by CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa. This is a matter of serious concern.
Plastic debris can come in all shapes and sizes, but those that are less than five millimetre in length (or about the size of a pencil eraser) are called ‘amicroplastics’.
Plastics and plastic products are abundantly utilised by people all around the world. The durability and light weight of plastic attracted the attention of people to use more and more plastic products in their daily lives.
Plastics are found everywhere such as – from big shopping malls to small grocery stores, from medical shops to daily street food shops. The demand of plastic products is increasing day by day to fulfil various needs of people at the global scale in terms of carry bags, water bottles, cold drink bottles, plastic cups, nylon rope, polythene, chair, tables, pencil box, oil drums, straw, spoon, plate, etc.
Injudiciousness and unsustainable high production, and unscientific use of plastic products lead to plastic pollution and now threaten to destroy the earth. Most of the plastic products are used for single purpose which are thrown in the environment after the use and which severely damage environmental sustainability due to its manifold toxic effects.
The coastal and oceanic water in recent decades have been polluted through the single use plastic products such as – water bottles, carry bags, food containers, cups, plates, straws etc. The average annual production of plastics was only 1.5 million metric tonnes in 1950, which increased to 270, 322 and 390.5 million metric tonnes in the years of 2010, 2015 and 2021, respectively, as a result of the industrial revolution along with the high demand of various plastic materials.
These huge amounts of used waste plastic components ultimately reach the ocean directly (coastal tourism, fishing, boating and shipping, etc.) and indirectly (domestic, industrial plastic debris, and landfills through rivers and running water, etc.), which pollute the ocean water and harmfully affect marine life.
It includes various types of microplastics, which reached into the oceanic beds, contaminated ocean water bodies, and, most significantly, destroyed the organisms of marine ecosystems. More than 75% of microplastic debris entered the ocean from land-based sources and contaminated the marine environment subsequently.
Microplastics are choking our oceans and threatening our health. According to reports, between 4 and 12 million metric tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year. In the ocean, plastic pollution impacts sea turtles, whales, seabirds, fish, coral reefs, and countless other marine species and habitats.
According to the environmental research institution ISPRA, 15 to 20 per cent of marine species that end up on our tables contain microplastics. Recent evidence indicates that humans constantly consume microplastics through contaminated seafood, including fish and shellfish.
Different harmful chemicals are released from these microplastics, which enter our bodies through seafood. These compounds are linked to serious health issues such as digestive disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health and cancer.
It is essential for individuals, organisations, and governments to work together to manage plastic waste, reduce plastic usage, and transition to a more sustainable and resilient environment. Everyone has a role to play in finding solutions to address the challenges posed by microplastics and protecting our health and the planet. For that, we must eliminate single-use plastics. The easiest and most direct way to get started is by reducing your own use of single-use plastics.
Single-use plastics include plastic bags, water bottles, straws, cups, utensils, dry cleaning bags, take-out containers, and any other plastic items that are used once and then discarded. However, it is important to provide alternatives to plastic packaging at an equal or even lesser cost.
Also, the government must invest adequately towards recycling of plastic waste. At present, just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. Recycling helps keep plastics out of the ocean and reduces the amount of ‘new’ plastic in circulation.
Microplastics are a danger not only to our present, but also future generations. Hence, the time to act is now.
