Microplastic Pollution: A Growing Threat to Human Health and the Environment

meteorology Matters highlights the pervasive and increasingly concerning issue of microplastic pollution. They reveal the presence of microplastics in household cleaning products, their negative impact on plant photosynthesis, and alarmingly, their significant accumulation in human brains, potentially linked to neurological disorders. While the full extent of the health and environmental consequences is still under investigation, the evidence presented underscores the urgent need for both individual and systemic action to reduce plastic production, consumption, and release into the environment.

Main Themes and Important Ideas/Facts:

1. Microplastics are Widespread and a Growing Concern:

• Microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, are now "a ubiquitous part of our daily physical reality," found in diverse environments from "Antarctic sea ice to human brains" (Scientific American).
• Global plastic production has more than doubled in the past two decades, reaching approximately 400 million tons annually (New York Post). This surge directly contributes to the increasing levels of microplastic pollution.
• A new study found that microplastic levels in human brains have increased by 50% in just eight years (New York Post).

2. Microplastics in Household Cleaning Products:

• Many household cleaning products contain microplastics as primary ingredients for abrasive properties, viscosity, color, or shimmer. They can also be shed as secondary microplastics from the breakdown of packaging (Washington Post).
• Examples of cleaning products that may contain or shed microplastics include: laundry and dishwashing detergent pods and liquid capsules (due to polyvinyl alcohol - PVA), toilet bowl cleaners, synthetic scrubbers and melamine sponges, scrubbing agents with microbeads, surface wipes with synthetic polymers, and some furniture polishes and waxes (Washington Post).
• While laundry and dishwashing detergent pods with PVA are designed to biodegrade in wastewater treatment plants, research suggests that "up to 61 percent of the PVA from pods enters the environment as sludge, and an additional 16 percent is emitted through water" after treatment (Washington Post).
• Consumers currently bear the "burden" of identifying and avoiding microplastics in cleaning products as they are not explicitly listed on labels. Instead, consumers need to look for specific chemical names like polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, acrylates, polymers, and microbeads (Washington Post).

3. Negative Impact on Plant Photosynthesis:

• New research indicates that microplastics can significantly hinder photosynthesis in a wide range of plant species, including crucial food crops. The study found an average reduction of 7 to 12 percent in photosynthetic ability (Scientific American).
• This reduction could lead to substantial yield losses in staple crops like corn, rice, and wheat (estimated at 4 to 13.5 percent per year over the next 25 years) and a decrease in seafood production (up to 7 percent) due to the impact on algae, which forms the base of aquatic food webs (Scientific American).
• Decreased photosynthesis also has implications for climate change mitigation, as plants will sequester less carbon dioxide than currently predicted (Scientific American).
• The researchers estimate that reducing the amount of plastic particles currently in the environment by just 13 percent could mitigate photosynthesis loss by 30 percent (Scientific American).