MICROPLASTICS
Presented By-
Shashanka Shekhar Das
CH/38/23
PG Dept. Of Chemistry
Fakir Mohan University , Balasore
Contents
:-
Introduction
Types of microplastics
Classification of microplastics
Sources of microplastics
Effect of microplastics
Methodology
Advantages
Disadvantages
Diseases
How to remove microplastics from
body ?
Solutions
Introduction
:-
Microplastic are tiny plastic particles that produce from the breakdown of
larger plastics .
The term “microplastic” was introduced in 2004 by professor Richard
Thomson .
They are defined as plastics less than 5 milli meters in diameter .
Microplastics are non-biodegradable and persistent in marine and fresh
water .
As a pollutant microplastics can be harmful to the environment .
They cause pollution by entering natural ecosystem from a variety of
sources including –food packaging ,cosmetics and clothing industry .
In the world ,9billion tons of plastic produce a single day .
India generates close to 26000 tones of plastic to India .
Microplastics mainly made of : polyethylene (degradable) ,polypropylene
(nondegradable ) ,nylon (degradable) ,poly methyl methacrylate (non
degradable) .
Types of
microplastic:-
Primary
Microplastic
Secondary
microplastic
Primary Microplastics:-
Primary microplastics are small pieces of plastics that
are purposefully manufactured .
These plastic fragments or particles that are already
5.0 mm in size or less before entering to the
environment.
Sources including personal care products, such as
toothpastes, shampoos, shower gels and fibers from
laundry.
In some cases these are used in medicine as a vector
for drugs.
Secondary Microplastic:-
Secondary plastics are small pieces of plastic derived from
the breakdown of larger plastic debris, both at sea and on
land.
Over time, a culmination of physical, biological, and
chemical photodegradation, including photodegradation
caused by sunlight exposure, can reduce the structural
integrity of plastic debris and causes development of
secondary microplastics .
This process of breaking down large plastic material into
much smaller pieces is known as fragmentation.
Sources of secondary microplastics include water and soda
bottles, fishing nets, and plastic bags.
Classification of Microplastic:-
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Sources of microplastic:-
1. Ocean
2. Soil
3. Air
4. Car and Truck Tires
5. Cosmetic Industry
6. Plastic Water Bottle
Ocean:-
Ocean is not the source of microplastics, but rather
a recipient of microplastics from various sources .
Littering and mismanaged waste:-
Plastics from litter and improper waste
management are a major source of plastic
in the ocean .
Road markings:-
Microplastics from road markings can come
from polymer tape and paint that are used
to build and maintain roads .
Textiles and tires:-
Microplastics can also come from the
abrasion of larger plastic items like tires
and textiles .
Soil:-
No, soil is not the source of microplastics,
but it can accumulate them from a number of
sources .
Agricultural practices: Plastic mulching,
coated fertilizers, and improper disposal of
film mulching can all contribute to
microplastics in soil .
Atmospheric deposition: Microplastics can
enter the soil from the air .
Wastewater irrigation: Microplastics can
enter the soil through wastewater irrigation .
Landfills: Microplastics can enter the soil
from the fragmentation of plastic waste in
landfills .
Air:-
Airborne microplastics have been
detected in the atmosphere, as well as
indoors and outdoors.
A 2017 study found indoor airborne.
microfiber concentrations between 1.0-
60.0 microfibers per cubic meter (33% of
which were found to be microplastics).
Another study looked at microplastic in
the street dust of Tehran and found 2,649
particles of microplastic within 10 samples
of street dust, with ranging samples
concentrations from 83 particle to 605
particles per 30.0 g of street dust .
Car and truck tires:-
Wear and tear from tires significantly
contributes to the flow of microplastics into the
environment .
In Denmark between 5,500 to 14,000 tones
of microplastics emitted to the environment per
year.
Secondary microplastics (e.g. From car and
truck tires or footwear) are more important than
primary microplastics .
The estimated per capita emission ranges
from 0.23 to 4.7 kg/year, with a global average
of 0.81kg/year. The emissions from car tires
(100%) are substantially higher than those of
other sources of microplastics .
Cosmetic Industry:-
Some companies have replaced natural
ingredients with microplastics, usually in the
form of "microbeads .
These products are typically composed of
polyethylene, a common component of plastics,
but they can also be manufactured from
polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate .
They are often found in face washes, hand
soaps, and other personal care products, so
the beads are usually washed into the sewage
system immediately after use .
Plastic Water Bottle:-
In one study, 93% of the water bottle from 11
different brands showed microplastic
contamination.
Per liter, researchers found an average of 325
microplastic particle .
Of the tested brands, nestle pure life and
gerolsteiner bottles contained the most
microplastic with 930 and 807 microplastic
particles per liter respectively .
San pellegrino products showed the least
quantity of microplastic densities.
Compared to water from taps, water from
plastic bottles contained twice as
much microplastic.
Effect Of Microplastics:-
On Earth Worm
On Plant
On Soil Structure
In Food Chain
Effect of microplastic on earthworm:-
Earthworm known as the friend of farmer because they improve the soil health, but now
a days earthworm is affected by the microplastic.
microplastic accumulate in the gut and stomach of earthworm, which further affect the
feeding behavior and development of earthworm.
The effect of microplastic on the weight and mortality, growth, ingestion
and reproduction.
Effect of microplastics on plant:-
Microplastic effect both the vegetative and reproductive process of plant .
cluster formation of microplastic occurred around the plant root which prohibit the
uptake of nutrient.
Effect of microplastic on soil structure:-
Microplastics affected the bulk density, water holding capacity, and the
functional relationship between the microbial activity and water
stable aggregator.
Effect of microplastic in food chain:-
Plastic has already entered the food chain and animals carry microplastics in their bodies .
When they are themselves eaten ,those microplastics are also injected .This process is called trophic
transfer of microplastics .
Since one animal eats another ,microplastics can move through the food chain .
When plastic ends up in the environment ,it tends to bind with environmental pollutants .
With plastic that moves through the food chain , the attached toxins can also move and accumulate
in animal fat and tissue through a process called bio-accumulation .
Microplastics can enter the food chain in a number of ways :
Crop absorption –crops can absorb microplastics from the soil and water through their roots .
Animal consumption :- animal can consume microplastics ,which can then be passed on to higher
order consumer .
Methodology:-
➤ Two step strategies is adopted which explained below:
Isolation of microplastic from soil sample: By increasing the density of water we separated easily
microplastic from soil.
for increasing the density of water we used the salts like sodium chloride, zinc chloride and
sodium iodide.
soil and other inorganic compounds were settle down and microplastic and some organic matter
were floating on the surface of water.
We used whatman filter paper no 4 for filtration of microplastic. Note down the weight of filter
paper before filtration of microplastic.
Then filter the microplastic and dry this filter paper in oven at 70°C for 2-3 hours
Method for determining the amount of organic content: Some organic content remain with
microplastic. To calculate the organic content we used the walkley black method
Formula to calculate microplastic:
Weight of microplastic (g) = weight of filter paper with sample
(g) - weight of Filter paper (g) - organic content (g)
Advantages of microplastics:-
1. Light weight and easy to transport
2. More flexible
3. Durable
4. Low cost
PHB(Poly hydroxy butyrate)
It is produced by microorganism Bacillus Megaterium .
Microbial biosynthesis of PHB starts with the condensation of two
molecules of acetyl-coA to give aceto acetyl-coA .
PHB derived plastics are attractive because they are compostable ,
renewables and are biodegradable .
Properties:-
Water insoluble and relatively resistant to
hydrolytic degradation
Good oxygen permeability
Sinks in water
Anaerobic biodegradation
Nontoxic
Disadvantages of microplastics:-
Non renewable
Non biodegradable
Toxic
Causes land ,air ,water pollution
Harmful to animal
Microplastics in salt
Microplastics in human blood
Fertility crisis
Microplastic in Human Blood:-
The study, published in the journal Environment International, tested 22
anonymous blood samples.
Scientists found tiny particles of microplastics in almost 80% of
the people tested .
The discovery shows the particles can travel around the body and may get
lodged in organs
Half of the samples contained PET plastic, commonly used in drinking bottles
While a third contained polystyrene, used for packaging food
and other products .
But how did this microplastics reach in human blood ?
There are 8 pointers through which plastic can enter our body
Plastic containers in microwave
Whenever we heat up our food in a plastic container in a microwave , it sheds
microplastics and gets mixed in our food .
Many times there is a sign of microwave safe on containers ,which just means that the
plastic container will not melt in the microwave .
But that too can transfer microplastic in our food .
So always heat the food in a glass container .
Drinking water or milk in plastic container :-
When we drink some hot drink like coffee ,tea or even hot water from these
plastic mugs or cups there are high chances of plastic leaching .
So always prefer mugs or cups made of glass ,steel or china clay .
Through tea bags:-
According to a research done by Mc Gill University ,the tea bags we use 11.6 billion
microplastic can be extracted out from one tea bag .
Actually earlier these tea bags were made of paper but complaints were registered that
they damaged in water .
So according to demands to keep the tea bags intact , many brand started mixing
polypropylene in it .
When research was done , it was found that microplastics get leached from it and enters
into body .
Tea bags can be replaced by tea infusers ,it is made of steel and can be used multiple
times .
Through plastic PET bottles:-
In recent studies ,259 bottles were examined in 9
different countries .
93%bottles showed the signs of presence of
microplastics in them and on an average 10.4
microplastic particles were found in every liter .
That means we consume a lot of microplastic
through these plastic bottles.
so avoid using plastic packaged soft drinks and
for water, always carry steel, clay or bamboo
bottles with you .
Through plastic packaging:-
From chips to wheat or almost anything comes in plastic
packs ,through these wrappers there is a high chance of leaching of
microplastics .
So try to buy loose items from the market and always carry your hand
bag, so that we can avoid exposing our food to microplastics .
Through sea foods:-
The major plastic waste of the world lies in the ocean .
And this plastic gets converted into microplastic and nano plastic by
the help of water and fishes ,sea creatures eat these by mistaking it as
food .
And then we eat sea food and microplastic is entering in our body .
Through salt:-
Obviously if there is plastic waste in our sea , so
salt which is made by that will also contain
microplastic .
That’s why south Korea and Green peace East
Asia did a research .
They tested 39 salt brand what was extremely
shocking ,out of 39 brands 36 brand contains
microplastic .
And salt is so important for our body ,it can not
be avoided .
But it is possible that we might be consuming
microplastic from salt .
Diseases:-
Exposure to microplastic can cause a number of health problems including :
Cancer
Microplastics can cause cancer including breast ,prostate and testicular cancer .
Cardiovascular disease
Microplastics can cause inflammation in the body , which can lead to heart disease .
Endocrine disorder
Microplastics can cause endocrine disorders including infertility, diabetes ,and thyroid problems .
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Microplastics can cause neurodevelopmental disorders including learning difficulties and autism
.
Reproductive problems
Microplastics can cause reproductive problems including genital defects and infertility .
Immune system disorders
It causes auto immune diseases and immunosuppression .
How to remove microplastics from body ?
There is no high-tech or pharmaceutical way to remove microplastics
from the body but there are some things to reduce your exposure to
microplastics and support your bodies natural detoxification
processes .
Limit your plastic consumption
Eat organic and fresh foods
Exercise :try breathing exercise
Take detoxification supplements
Drink boiled water :boiling water can remove up to 90% of
microplastics .
Solutions:-
In India every year 3.5 million ton waste is generated .
According to International Union for Conservation of Nature report
the whole world generates 300 million ton waste every year .
Among which 14 million ton waste goes to the oceans every year .
India has banned single use plastic from 30 June 2022 .
Example of single use plastic :
Plastic stick –used in earbud ,flag ,ballon
Thermocol -cup , plate
Plastic and PVC banner
Eco brick:-
It can be made at home by the use of plastic bottles and plastic wrappers .
The plastic wrappers which is used that cannot be recycled .
How to made eco brick ?
Do not throw the plastic wrappers which can not be recycled , then clean
the wrappers and dry it .
Now insert the wrappers in the plastic bottles .
It is recommended to use soft plastic wrapper to fill bottom ,so that the
base gaps can be filled properly .
Try to fill the bottle with wrappers as much as possible until the bottle gets
tight and put the bottle cap ,then eco brick is ready .
It is used like conventional brick in construction and also in building
construction .
It is also used to make furniture .
Recycling of plastic wrapper:-
A lady named Kohima living in Kanpur makes useful product by
recycling these plastic products .
She collect milk packet ,chips packet and recycle these to make seat
cover of bicycle ,paddle ,tree guards and dustbin .
To collect large amount of plastic she launched a app through which
people can donate their plastics and plastic wrapper .
After collecting plastics first of all it is segregated in which PP ,PET
are segregated .
Then plastics are put into studer machine ,it convert into fluid and then
solid lumps .
Then solid lumps are transferred into designed machines to get
different products after cooling convert into product .
Conversion of plastic bottles into clothes:-
First plastic bottles are collected and transport to the recycling centre .
Then these bottles are prewashed to remove impurities and dust slightly in wash
line section .
Then colour and polymer bottles are separated ,then label scraper separate the
label from the bottle.
At last step bottles are put into auto sorter to remove other impurities ,then it goes
through crushing ,washing and drying then it convert into flex .
After melting of flex it convert into fibre ,which is in the form of cotton .
Then this fibre get transported into yarn factory and after that
clothes ,shoes ,curtains are made .
These initiative steps are taken by JB Ecotax company lead by Mr Puneet in
Gujrat .
Conversion of plastics into fuel:-
Couple named Medha and Shirish observing wild life sanctuary and they found two dead
deer ,they wanted to know that deer died by eating plastic .
First they collected plastic and pressurized the plastic in a pressure cooker ,after increasing
the pressure there was a blast in the cooker .
Then they use a modified pressure cooker and brown colour liquid started floating in water
and that was hydrocarbon .
Then they constructed 200 kg machine and took trials on it and build a company named
Rudra Blue Planet Environmental solutions .
How they make fuel from plastic ?
It is the reverse process of plastic making ,here plastic waste are converted into
hydrocarbons or fuels .
These fuels are used in industry ,generators and fishing boots
This fuel can replace kerosene oil from stoves .
This company has used around 25 lakh kgs of plastic to generate 7-8 lakh litres of fuel ,
which is highly impactful .
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