Today’s earth, plastic pollution has become more and more serious. Plastic pollution has appeared on the summit of Mount Everest, on the bottom of the South China Sea more than 3,900 meters deep, in the Arctic ice sheet, and even in the Mariana Trench…
In the era of fast-moving goods, we eat some plastic-packaged snacks every day, or receive several express delivery, or eat takeaways in plastic fast food boxes. A terrifying fact is: plastic products are difficult to degrade, and it will take hundreds of years to completely decompose and disappear. .
The more frightening fact is that scientists have detected as many as 9 types of microplastics in the human body. According to Glowbal News, according to the latest research by the University of Victoria, American adults eat 126 to 142 microplastic particles every day and inhale them every day. 132-170 plastic particles.
What is microplastic?
According to the definition of British scholar Thompson, microplastics refer to plastic fragments and particles with a diameter of less than 5 microns. What is the concept of less than 5 microns? It is many times less than a piece of hair, and it is almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
So where did these microplastics invade the human body come from?
There are several sources:
① Aquatic products
This is easy to understand. When humans throw rubbish into rivers, seas and lakes at will, plastic rubbish will decompose into smaller and smaller particles and enter the body of aquatic organisms. In the ocean, as many as 114 aquatic organisms have found microplastics in their bodies. After mankind invented plastics in the 19th century, a total of 8.3 billion tons of plastics have been produced so far, and more than 2 million tons of waste plastics are discarded directly without treatment and eventually enter the ocean.
② Use plastics in food processing
Scientists recently conducted extensive tests on more than 250 brands of bottled water in 9 countries around the world and found that many bottled water contained microplastics. Even tap water is inevitable. An investigation agency in the United States investigated tap water in 14 countries around the world, and the results showed that 83% of tap water samples contained microplastics. It is difficult to avoid microplastics even in tap water, let alone take-out boxes and milk tea cups that you often come into contact with. The surface of these appliances is usually coated with a layer of polyethylene. Polyethylene will be broken into small particles.
③ The source you never thought of-salt
Yes, the salt you eat every day may contain microplastics. Because the salt we eat is extracted from rivers, seas and lakes. Water pollution will inevitably harm pond fish. This “pond fish” is salt.
“Scientific American” reported a study by Shanghai East China Normal University:
Microplastics, such as polyethylene and cellophane, were found in the 15 brands of salt samples collected by the researchers. Especially for sea salt, which exceeds 550 yuan per kilogram, they have made a calculation: According to the amount of salt we eat per day, the amount of microplastics that a person eats through salt in a year may exceed 1,000 yuan!
④ Household daily necessities
You may not know that even if you don’t throw out trash, the things you are still using will produce microplastics every minute. For example, many clothes now contain chemical fiber. When you throw your clothes into the washing machine for washing, the clothes will throw out superfine fibers. These fibers are discharged with the waste water, which is plastic. Don’t look at the number of microfibers. Researchers speculate that in a city with a population of 1 million, 1 ton of microfiber is discharged every day, which is equivalent to 150,000 non-degradable plastic bags. Moreover, many cleaning products, such as shaving cream, toothpaste, sunscreen, makeup remover, facial cleanser, etc., contain an ingredient called “soft beads” for deep cleansing, which is actually microplastic.
The harm of microplastics to humans
The microplastics floating in the ocean can not only provide a place for survival and reproduction of various microorganisms, but also absorb heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in the ocean. Such as pesticides, flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls, etc., move along with ocean currents to cause chemical harm to the ecological environment. The plastic particles are small in diameter and can enter tissue cells and accumulate in the liver, causing inflammatory reactions and chronic depositional poisoning. It may also destroy intestinal tolerance and immune response. The smallest microplastics can enter the blood vessel and lymphatic system. When a certain concentration is reached, it will seriously affect our endocrine system. In the end, it is only a matter of time before the human body is swallowed by plastic.
Facing the ubiquitous microplastics, how can human beings save themselves?
In addition to calling for the reduction of the use of disposable plastic products in daily life. To reduce and eventually phase out disposable plastic packaging and articles, we should actively develop and promote the alternative use of new materials. Shanghai Hui Ang Industrial Co., Ltd. focuses on the promotion and use of PLA biodegradable materials. PLA is derived from renewable plant resources (such as Corn, cassava, etc.). Starch raw materials are saccharified to obtain glucose, which is then fermented by glucose and certain strains to produce high-purity lactic acid, and then a certain molecular weight polylactic acid is synthesized by chemical synthesis. It has good biodegradability. After use, it can be completely degraded by microorganisms in nature under specific conditions, and finally produce carbon dioxide and water. It is recognized as an environmentally friendly material. Shanghai Hui Ang Industrial adheres to the environmental protection concept of “originating from nature and returning to nature”, and is committed to letting fully degradable products enter every family. It has created a brand of artisan market. The products include straws, shopping bags, garbage bags, pet bags, and fresh-keeping bags. , Cling film and a series of fully degradable environmentally friendly disposable products, please look for the artisan market for fully biodegradable brands.
Post time: May-18-2021