Wastewater Treatment Plants – A Surprising Source of Microplastic Pollution

One surprising finding was that while the composition of microplastics varied spatially and temporally, it was dominated by fibres, fragments, and flakes, as opposed to beads and pellets.

“Management efforts to reduce microplastic concentrations in rivers and oceans must focus on a diverse range of microplastic sources,” according to the study, in addition to addressing the treatment facilities’ failure to filter out the micropollutants.

An additional reason for concern is that microplastics can also trap, or act as a vehicle for the dispersal of, harmful chemicals. These chemical-laced particles can be ingested by small organisms, which are eaten by bigger animals and so on up the food chain and onto our plates.

Studies have linked the additives that leach out of certain microplastics to endocrine disruption in fish, affecting their reproductive ability and the hormone system of vertebrates and invertebrates alike.

UN Environment is focusing the topics of this year’s World Water Day, World Water Development Report and Stockholm World Water Week on “nature-based solutions” for water.

World Water Week, in Stockholm from 26-31 August, is an opportunity to raise awareness about the interplay between microplastics and chemical pollution in our freshwater and marine environments.

*SOURCE: UN Environment. Go to ORIGINAL. 

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Microplastic Particles in the Ocean Now Outnumber Stars in Our Galaxy — The World Is Being ‘Swamped’ by Harmful Plastic Waste

Tons of Plastic Trash Enter the Great Lakes Every Year – Where Does It Go?

Is the Planet Approaching “Peak Fish”? Not So Fast, New Study Says