Microplastic pollution
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what classes as a microplastic?
plastic less than 5mm in size
types of microplastic
primary - manufactured less than 5mm secondary - result of breakdown of plastic of larger pieces of macroplastic
how many microplastic particles do global oceans contain
between 15 and 51 trillion
what % of microplastic in the oceans is from secondary microplastic
69-81%
how many tonnes of micro plastics enter the marine environment every year from Europe alone?
80,000-219,000 tonnes
sources of micro plastics?
primary- industry, medicine, clothing secondary - food packaging and fishing
sinks of micro plastics?
garbage patches, open ocean, beaches, sea bed, air, wildlife, rivers, soil
how do micro plastics lead to pollutants getting inside fish?
they act as a transport vector
ecological impact of micro plastics
• mistaken ingestion • sharp edgers- stomach ulcers • false satiation-feel full • leaching of plastic additives and POPs
how to test for microplastics
gather samples and sieve through mesh with 1mm and 5mm
what % of microplastic pollution is land based?
98%
is microplastic present in the Bristol Channel?
yes and there are many sources in the region