The Rapid Accumulation of Microplastics
By Betilehem Mehari & Urja Khanal
What are Microplastics?
Microplastics are persistent pollutants that have become omnipresent across marine and freshwater systems worldwide. Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5mm. These tiny particles accumulate and pollute oceans, lakes, and even our tap water.
There are two main ways that microplastics originate
Primary Microplastics: Intentionally manufactured to be miniscule for their purpose.
Secondary Microplastics: Fragments that break off larger plastic items such as synthetic textiles, water bottles, etc.
How do they accumulate?
The main reason that microplastics can accumulate so easily is because the wastewater treatment systems used today are not able to filter out miniscule particles. The lack of proper filtration allows microplastics to enter major waterways virtually undetected. The immediate issue is that microplastics do not biodegrade. They can never be fully decomposed, only broken down into smaller particles. They can persist in polluting our environment for hundreds of years.
Ecological Concerns
Many marine organisms mistake microplastics for food or accidentally ingest them. This causes a plethora of health problems. They act as carriers for toxic chemicals, both from the production process and from absorbing other pollutants in the water. This causes injury to digestive tracts, reduced feeding efficiency, growth delays, and oxidative stress. Microplastics accumulate in the digestive tracts of the organisms that mistake them for food, and eventually, they ascend the trophic levels via the food chain. This causes further accumulation, and eventually, the marine animals are ingested by humans.
What do microplastics do to humans?
The passive consumption of microplastics, orally, respiratorily, and consumingly, the human body experiences its toxic effects through various systems such as, digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems. These effects consist of oxidative stress, DNA damage, organ dysfunction, neurotoxicity, immune response, metabolic disorder, as well as reproductive and developmental toxicity. Physical symptoms may manifest as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, coughing, infertility, miscarriage, and congenital malformations. Recognizing these dangers is crucial for your life.
What can you do?
Buy organic clothes (or those made from organic materials): Materials like Polyester contribute to microplastic consumption by releasing microfibers that can enter the environment and our bodies. Choosing eco-friendly materials such as cotton, silk, wool, and hemp reduces the amount of microfibers released.
Change your laundry regimen: Dryers generate about 40 times more microfibers than washing machines, and further cause the release of up to 120 million microfibers into the air every year. To make a change, you can help reduce the amount of microplastics by air-drying your clothing, purchasing quality filters that catch microplastics, and buying fewer new clothes.
Avoid single-use plastics: Reducing the use of disposable plastic like water bottles, using a refillable water bottle instead, or bringing fabric bags or backpacks while shopping.
Reduce shellfish consumption: Reducing or avoiding your consumption of shellfish (such as Shrimp, Lobster, and Crab) can help cut down on the amount of microplastics that get into your system.
Use public or alternative transportation: The tires break down when driving, causing the tiny particles released into our environment. Increasing the use of public transportation can reduce this erosion with less tires being out on the road. The fewer cars on the road, the fewer tires out there releasing microplastics.
Don’t microwave your food in plastic: Plastic will always leach into your food when heat is applied, so when containers are even labeled ”microwave safe,” you're still ingesting the microplastics.
References
Lee, Y., Cho, J., Sohn, J., & Kim, C. (2023). Health Effects of Microplastic exposures: Current Issues and Perspectives in South Korea. Yonsei Medical Journal, 64(5), 301–308. National Library of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2023.0048
Li, Y., Tao, L., Wang, Q., Wang, F., Li, G., & Song, M. (2023). Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects. Environment & Health, 1(4), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.3c00052
Murphy, M. (2025, January 2). Redirect Notice. Google.com. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhsph.harvard.edu%2Fnews%2Fmicroplastics-a-growing-challenge-to-health-and-the-environment%2F&psig=AOvVaw0Uho6LJiNqGzC1CCGDlaj2&ust=1751660646327000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCKC9rcrCoY4DFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE
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