Ocean Watch with The Pearl Protectors
Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine debris found in our ocean. Plastic debris can come in all shapes and sizes, but those that are less than five millimetres in length are called “microplastics”.
Microplastics come from a variety of sources, including from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. In addition, microbeads, a type of microplastic, are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products, such as some cleansers and toothpaste. These tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean, posing a potential threat to marine life.
Microplastic pollution in coastal beaches and waters of Sri Lanka
The abundance of microplastics in surface water and beach sediment in southern Sri Lanka covering a distance of 91 km of coastline was revealed in a study; microplastics were classified according to polymer type, geometry, and colour of the sites tested. Sixty percent of the sand samples and 70% of the surface water samples contained microplastics.
The size range of microplastics from surface water and beaches were 1.5-2.5 mm and 3-4.5 mm, respectively. The majority of these were identified as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) with some polystyrene (PS) foam at a few sites. Fragments derived from larger amounts of debris appear to be a dominant type of microplastics.
How microplastics pollution affects the environment
In today’s world, plastic litter has been positioned top in the list of worldwide threats, counting climate change and ozone depletion. Marine animals mistakenly feed on the microplastics, and at the same time ingest the toxic pollutants. The chemicals accumulate in the animals’ tissues and then increase in concentration as the pollutants are transferred up the food chain.
What are the methods to reduce microplastic pollution?
Microplastic pollution in coastal beaches and waters of Sri Lanka
The abundance of microplastics in surface water and beach sediment in southern Sri Lanka covering a distance of 91 km of coastline was revealed in a study; microplastics were classified according to polymer type, geometry, and colour of the sites tested. Sixty percent of the sand samples and 70% of the surface water samples contained microplastics.
The size range of microplastics from surface water and beaches were 1.5-2.5 mm and 3-4.5 mm, respectively. The majority of these were identified as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) with some polystyrene (PS) foam at a few sites. Fragments derived from larger amounts of debris appear to be a dominant type of microplastics.
How microplastics pollution affects the environment
In today’s world, plastic litter has been positioned top in the list of worldwide threats, counting climate change and ozone depletion. Marine animals mistakenly feed on the microplastics, and at the same time ingest the toxic pollutants. The chemicals accumulate in the animals’ tissues and then increase in concentration as the pollutants are transferred up the food chain.
What are the methods to reduce microplastic pollution?
- Reduce your use of single-use plastics
- Recycle properly
- Participate in or organise a beach cleanup
- Support bans
- Avoid products containing microbeads
- Spread the word
- Support organisations addressing plastic pollution