Effects Of Microbeads

Have you ever seen a plastic bag or water bottle float past you as you are swimming? Well many people can probably say that they have. Based on the information from https://www.seattleaquarium.org about 22 million pounds of plastic flows into the Great Lakes each year, and that could fill about 100 Olympic swimming pools! Unfortunately, a study from Rochester Institute of Technology proved that 11,023,100 pounds of plastic ends up in Lake Michigan every year. On the other hand, smaller and just as harmful plastics called micro plastics get into the Great Lakes and cause a tremendous decrease in health for fish and plants. This is a good

Is plastic really that harmless innovation that saves us time and energy without any repercussions? “80% of plastic waste in the ocean originates on land, and recycling rates are poor, with just 9% of plastic in the U.S. recycled, according to the EPA.” - Kieron Marks. Massive amounts of our plastic begin on land and appear in the ocean. The majority of plastic that is in the ocean is in a microscopic form which makes the plastic extremely difficult to find let alone clean up. This affects not only the ocean life by killing 1 million sea creatures a year, but it also has effects on the fishing and the shipping industry, along with tourism. Furthermore, the pollution causes 13 billion dollars in damage to the marine environment every year. This

Over the few years, humans have discarded millions of tons of garbage into the oceans. Ever wonder where the cup you threw out this morning will end up? Or the plastic spoon you used for lunch? How about the cap of a water bottle? The calamitous plastic ends up in the water, taking thousands of years to decompose. The consumption of plastic by the marine life is perilous and the leading cause of death for life on shore.

From the polar regions to the equator, these microplastics are everywhere (Avio, 2017). While we know there are tons of plastic in the ocean, it is difficult for researchers to give an exact amount. However, after twenty-four expeditions, a team of researchers in 2014 estimated that there are at least 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing 268,940 tons floating in the ocean (Eriksen, 2014). They estimate that the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans contain 55.6% of the particles found in the oceans (Eriksen, 2014). These researchers have helped give emphasis and proof as to why the worlds plastic consumption needs to be dealt with, either by banning non-biodegradable plastic all together, or by providing people all around the world with an easier way to recycle plastic.

“Around 260 million tons of plastic is produced every year, approximately 10% of this ends up in oceans. This litter is frequently consumed, often with fatal effects, by marine animals and birds who mistake it for food. The Trash Vortex of the Northern Pacific ocean is a patch the size of Texas consisting of trillions of pieces of decomposing plastic.” (Geer) Water pollution often directly correlates with other natural recourses that is being harmed by the same

Body scrubs maybe good for your skin, but not for mother earth. Microbeads, which are present to almost all beauty products, are to blame. Dilyana Mihaylova of conservation organisation Fauna & Flora International stated, 'Microbeads are too small to be filtered out during sewage treatment and invariably flow out to sea, becoming a direct source of pollution. This is a problem because they don't biodegrade and can pose a serious threat to animals, which can easily mistake them for food."

The earth’s oceans take up roughly three fourths of the planet’s surface area and hold roughly 97 percent of all water on earth (Silverman). It is important that people make sure that the oceans are kept clean because the ocean contains many essential elements for the survival of both humans and animals. A rising problem that is not often brought up is the increasing amounts of man-made debris, especially plastic, that are accumulating in these waters that is slowly effecting the oceans ecosystem as well as the health of humans. Some may argue that the plastics have little effect on the environment but the facts show that this is not the case. The amount of ocean debris has increased

The ocean has so far helped to generate numerous drugs against deadly diseases such as certain formations of cancer, HIV and inflammation within the body. A coral species named Caribbean Gorgonian has not only helped with the development and progression of anti-inflammatory drugs but is also used within skincare products, primarily ones with anti-aging properties so extending the industries which rely upon the ocean for its vital resources. However, the issue is not only what we extract but what we dispose of in the ocean, The Guardian article ‘Are microbeads and microplastics in beauty products a threat to the oceans?’(2012) mentions how plastic beads used continuously in exfoliation products further pollute the ocean and can be detrimental to marine life, despite the fact natural alternatives are available. Many large businesses are freely allowed to exploit the ocean as much as desired, with insufficient laws in place to ensure its

Plastic is a huge problem to the Earth’s ecosystem, including to the marine wildlife of the oceans. It gets into our oceans in large quantities, and they pile up to a point they become an “island of plastic.” Some of which are estimated to be as big as a few million square miles, the biggest being in the Pacific ocean. This could result in environmental issues that could harm the ecosystems of the oceans. It would be eaten in small quantities by fish and by birds, which could cause many health problems that could lead to death. This is a problem that will only lead us to think more critically the waste we produce as humans. In only of a short time span of 35 years, was the oceans transformed into a landfill of plastic.

However, you are right because all of us should be concerned about this trend and join the Plastic Pollution Coalition. It is important to do it, considering that tons of plastic containers are polluting our sea, rivers, and beaches around the globe (Gould, page 175). This problem seriously affects the survival of wildlife planets and animals. Just recently I heard in the national Geographic channel that, almost 11 million tons of plastic debris and more than 15 billion of trash is being dumped in the oceans every year. Sad statistics that are breaking the natural equilibrium of our sea ecosystems and sooner or later we will be paying the consequences of our irresponsibility, ignorance, and lack of self-awareness. We must stop right now. With

Plastic microbeads have been popularized by cosmetic companies for claims that the beads helped clan one’s skin without causing irritation. However, Alliance for the Great Lakes attention was brought to the issue of plastic microbeads appearing in waters that were used for human consumption. The problem with plastic microbeads is that they are able to slip past filters and drains that eventually lead to the waters (Alliances for the Great Lakes, 2015, p. 2-3). First, this paper will describe the process of how the bill was first introduced in the House of Representatives. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced this bill and was cosponsored by Fred Upton (R-MI). In the House, a hearing was held in front of the Subcommittee of Health, (Library of Congress:

Walking through the traditional grocery store, consumers find hundreds of plastic items to make their lives more convenient. Individually wrapped pop tarts, plastic zip lock bags to store sub sandwiches for lunch, deodorant cases, plastic combs to groom hair, diapers, and soda bottles. Unless specifically requested to carry a cloth bag, even the bags we use to carry our groceries home are produced plastic. To society, these are items of convenience and not necessity. But to marine animals that reside in our ocean, they can be a hazardous warzone, “which ends up polluting our oceans and killing millions of birds and fish and more than 100,000 sea turtles, according to the Sierra Club”(D.G.22). Plastic whether it is a syringe,

Microbeads are international in Canada, United Stated of America, Europe, and Australia.The microbeads are made of plastic so it does not break down and pose threats to the environment and the nation’s waterways.When you wash polyethylene off with water, the water goes down the waterway carrying tiny bits of plastic ending up in the sea.They're less than a millimeter wide so water filters can not pick them up. Microbeads are a massive issue of marine litter which is causing real problems to marine life; they can cause plastic particle water pollution and pose an environmental hazard for aquatic animals in freshwater and ocean water.In Canada, microbeads were reported to be used when these products are used by consumers

Microbeads are everywhere. People rarely notice them, but these small plastic beads are in a huge assortment of hygiene and personal care products. Unfortunately, microbeads are a big problem for the environment, as they don’t dissolve or degrade. They contaminate bodies of water, affect the animals, and can eventually harm people.

Where does all the plastic go. Every bit of plastic that has been created is still here. This is because plastic is one-hundred percent non-biodegradable! Even the most degraded plastic down to polymers cannot be digested by bacteria (Laist, 1997). If global issues like starvation and climate change are not enough to stress on, the weight of an issue literally churning in the Pacific Ocean is startling. For decades the majority of the world’s population has not been properly educated on the nature of plastic and the potential harm it can do to our environment and our physical health. Due to factors of man and the natural effects of nature, a major problem has developed that is now harming our food.