The Effects of Microplastics

According to Tyler Davis, The Rum Runner is now using paper straws instead of plastic straws. 

Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium are also calling for a joint effort to ban microbeads in cosmetic products. 

These are larvaceans.

Larvaceans pack the microplastics into their feces or their “houses” made of mucus, which are then eaten by other marine animals. This allows the microplasics to travel throughout the oceans and the food web. 

While large pieces of plastic debris slowly break down, they collect algae and therefore smell like the food consumed by many marine animals. More than 100 species of fish have been documented to eat microplastics and in 2016, Matthew Savoca’s study concluded that seabirds also mistake microplastics for food because of its odor. 

Matthew Savoca, Researcher at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center

A study published in the journal, Environmental Pollution, states that all mussels sampled from the UK coastline and supermarkets were found to contain microplastics as well as other debris. 

A diagram showing the harms of microplastics. 

According to an extended study done by Orb, plastic can break down to the nanometer scale size and particles at this size can migrate through the intestinal wall and even travel to the lymph nodes and other organs in the human body. 

Dr. Maia McGuire, Florida Sea Grant Agent for the University of Florida

According to the NOAA, every piece of plastic that has ever been created still exists in some form. Even the tiniest microplastic particles never fully degrade. 

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General 

This is some good stuff.

A study done by Orb Media and researchers at the State University of New York at Fredonia found that microplastics are found in 90% of bottled waters.