Microplastic Essay

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

In conclusion, it should have been learned that the issue of plastic pollution has become ruinous. The cost of repair and the inconvenience of lifestyle changes cannot compare to the frightful future this planet is headed. At current rates, hazards are not just inflicted on Earth's oceans but individual human health and the other creatures that rightly inhabit this land. With this concern

The problem topic being analyzed is the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 PL 114-114. The law discusses, in detail about, amending Section 301 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 331). It adds on to that law by putting in the following into an act, “To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the manufacture and introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of rinse-off cosmetics containing intentionally-added plastic microbeads.” Microbeads are “any solid plastic particle that is less than 5 millimeters in size.” The reason behind banning the microbeads in “rinse-off cosmetics” is due to the fact that they are doing more harm than good, especially to the environment and our water across the U.S. The beads are continually adding plastic to the oceans causing toxins and problems for the marine environment. Microbeads are not only impacting the oceans, but the groups and people all over the world.

In 1988, it was determined that the United States alone, was producing 30 million tonnes of plastic per year (Derraik, J.G.B., 2002). This can be compared with the global and annual production of 260 million tonnes of plastic as of 2012 (Pearson, E., 2014). Plastics are lightweight, durable, and cheap to make. This makes them incredibly easy to sell and manufacture. However, these attributes are many of the reasons why plastics are the most prominent type of marine debris, and why they are a serious hazard to various ecosystems and the organisms that live within them (Derraik, J.G.B.,

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.

The ocean’s vast marine life is dying more and more each year due to plastic. Over 100,000 marine animals die each year from plastic entanglement and ingestion says Gianna Andrews, author of the 2012 “Plastic in our Oceans Affecting Human Health” on ser.carlton. Chemicals in the plastic are also intoxicating the marine life. Reducing the use of plastic could save thousands of sea animals and make our ocean a cleaner place. There are many questions concerning our ocean, like how much plastic is in our ocean? What are the effects? How do we stop it? These questions will be answered by explaining and describing our ocean’s plastic.

Marine biologists have warned that dumping tiny pieces of polyethylene plastic down the drain into the ocean will decimate the fauna in the waterways to very little response, but since a study by the nonprofit 5 Gyres Institute found rampant pollution in the Great Lakes in 2013; that is changing. A campaign to ban the beads has been gaining traction in the U.S. In addition to Illinois's ban, New York and California legislatures are considering similar legislation.

Lozano says the facility removes roughly 97 percent of the plastics but the three percent represents thousands of plastic particles that go into the lake. He adds they don't know the affect it would have on humans if the particles were recycled into drinking water. Which is why it's safer to not have microbeads in personal care items like soaps and face scrubs. "It is definitely a step in the right direction but it is not enough. We are definitely happy about the ban but like I mentioned it is just the tip of the iceberg," says Lozano.

B. Main Point #2: Fish bring in water through their gills and ingest micro plastics causing a chain reaction 1. So what are “microplastics”? “NOAA classifies microplastics as small plastic pieces less than 5 mm in diameter which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life”. Microbeads are also tiny pieces of plastic added to health and beauty products, such as some cleansers and

Plastic in the Oceans: Having been to the Centers for Disease Control’s David J. Sencer Museum this past year, I was able to see the exhibition GYRE: The Plastic Ocean. The ocean has become littered with enormous amounts of plastic over the years and, in some places, entire islands can be found entirely composed of discarded or lost plastic objects. The sheer volume of new and current information currently being put forth on this topic makes it an excellent one for research.

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

In modern times, it is undeniable that the world is facing a pollution crisis, but the spotlight is placed on carbon emissions causing global warming. However, an equally worrying crisis is taking place in the oceans of our world. In the Pacific Ocean exists a region known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch; a collection of plastic larger than the state of Texas. Unfortunately, 4 smaller regions are known to exist in the oceans of the worlds [1]. In addition, from a journal written by a group of researchers at the National Center for ecological Analysis and Synthesis, they could quantify the input of plastics to a staggering 8 million tons of plastics entering the oceans yearly [2]. Our innovation will address this pollution problem in the ocean and hopefully bring greater awareness to the public.

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:

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.

Plastics and petroleum are essential for modern society and we often rely on it to make our lives easier. Petroleum is the key resource for every human, it starts out as oil that comes out of the ground and its a key ingredients for our cars since most factories need it in order to convert it to fuel. Without petroleum, plastics would not exist since plastic made of many carbon molecules that are polymers. Plastics were essential a product that were supposed to replace other materials and people often called it polymer, which most people see as hard plastics that had the properties of being lightweight and strong. In the early 20th century plastics was relatively a new material and there were not a lot of companies producing it, but during World War II, the demand for them increased since its properties were very useful from the production of weapons to vehicles such as plane parts. After the war had ended, society wanted more of this new material and eventually the creation of the plastic bag helped many customers hold multiple items without breaking. Microbeads came from plastics as it was in form of a small spheres that, companies that created toothpaste, shaving cream, or shower gel, began to replace the natural elements in the ingredients with microbeads since they were cheaper to produce than the making the natural part, but in the early 2000, people began to realize the harmful