Particular Plastics

Plastics have recently been taking centre stage in the news and media as a major environmental issue. Not only do large pieces ensnare animals but they are also ingested by all manner species from birds and sea turtles to whales and fish. Whilst these are definitely a major issue now the future issue is what they become. Microplastics. These are; large pieces of plastics which have degraded, pellets used in manufacturing or objects such as microbeads used in many cosmetics. Microplastics are those with diameters below 5mm according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA¹) however, this size is subject to some contention. Microplastics are found throughout the watercourse, recently it is thought that somehow, they are even close to or within natural springs (bottled spring water²). This is however, not certain as the plastic fragments found within the bottles containing spring-water may have come from the bottle itself and was not initially there.



For more info on freshwater microplastics their types and impacts please click this link it will take you to a peer reviewed paper.

Click here for a peer reviewed paper on the influences and origins of marine microplastics.

1 NOAA 'What are microplastics'
2 Bottled water and plastics study information includes the methods used. Please note this study was not peer reviewed fully.