“Microplastics (MPs) generally refer to plastic fragments which smaller than 5 mm , and it can be divided into primary and secondary plastic particles according to the each source.

• Primary microplastics:

A common source is from plastic pellets, which are usually produced in factories to make larger plastic products, or made into microbeads and added into cosmetics, toothpaste…etc.

• Secondary plastic particles:

Plastic products are broken down into pieces by the forces of Nature such as the sun, wind, and waves. Synthetic fibers, nylon which are used in clothes, produce the tiny filaments after washing, this also in the same way as secondary plastic particles. The ocean, the biggest plastic soup, has become an endless source of secondary plastic particles.”

| The plastic didn’t disappear, but cracked into smaller pieces, invisible to the naked eye.

One of the Japanese study in 2001 pointed out that plastic raw material particles not only damage the marine environment, but also absorb harmful chemicals. These toxic substances drift with ocean currents, are eaten by plankton, and then accumulate in larger sea creatures through the food chain. It harms marine organisms such as fish, oysters, and whales. Take it for granted, if these “plastic seafood” are eaten by humans, they will also affect human health.

In addition, in 2020 American pointed out that there are many plastic particles in the air, which will fall to the land with rainfall. According to statistics, 11% of these plastic rains come from the Ocean and 84% from the Land; more and more studies have confirmed that plastic particles come from the atmosphere to the deep sea, it is ubiquitous. The plastic particles which floating in the air will carry pollutants and be inhaled into the human body. Scientific research has shown that there are plastic particles in human lung tissue and blood.

| More and smaller nanoplastics

In 2015, a study propose assumption that plastic particles could be broken into smaller particles. The following year, there was evidence that, after a period of UV exposure, plastic particles would be decomposed into nano-scale particles that can only be seen by a microscope (Nanoplastics, <1 µm). These nanoplastics are smaller and more easily adsorbed on different molecules. In 2022, scientists also discover nanoplastics in the Antarctica and Arctic regions, and more research data is needed to prove the harm and stock of these smaller nanoplastics to the human body.

| Microplastics are everywhere

“In 2018, Turn the Tide on Plastic, representing UN Environment’s “”Clean Oceans”” science program, participated in the Volvo Ocean Race for an eight-month and collected data on microplastics. Concentrations of microplastics have increased near the coasts of large cities, with an estimated 24 trillion microplastics in the shallows water of the ocean.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has also made these ubiquitous plastic particles into a global database – the world of plastic particles.”

| Fight against plastic waste

“Many recent studies have standardized detection methods of microplastics, which can not only reveal these invisible microplastics, but also produce highly reliable and mutually comparable data to help government agencies develop better regulations.

In 2022, the California government adopted a policy on plastic particles, through coastal background checks and regular monitoring, establish relevant regulations and restrictions to reduce the flow of these plastic particles into the ocean, and to prevent more plastic pollution through environmental education.

Since 2018, Taiwan has expanded the control of shopping plastic bags. At the end of 2020, the second edition of the “”Taiwan Marine Debris Management Action Plan”” will be released. However, in the part of plastic particles, the regulations only control primary plastic particles, and there are no special provisions for secondary plastic particles. In the future, we will continue to track and report the control policy for plastic particles.”

#WRITTEN BY：陳韋廷

SOURCE：

報導者:當人體器官驗出塑膠微粒：台灣限塑18年，然後呢？

【環境資訊中心】限塑10年政策失靈？一次性塑膠用量增22.8%

限塑16年 我們改變了什麼？

臺灣海洋廢棄物治理行動方案