While accidents at nuclear facilities are minimal, they can be fatal when they happen. The radiations resulting from accidents are harmful to the environment. They lead to the loss of human life and animal species once they contaminate the environment. The plutonium released into the atmosphere in the events of accidents can expose humans to multiple types of cancer, including bone, lung, and liver cancer. The byproducts of nuclear fuel can further ruin plant species upon encountering the soil. Accidents at nuclear facilities are safety concerns for the environment, animals, humans, and plants.

Oceans are an essential component of the earth’s system. The earth is a blue planet, as the oceans make over 70% of the surface. Among its most important functions include producing oxygen (70% of the oxygen on our planet is from it), and it is the home of a crazy variety of species.

But marine pollution is threatening the system. In particular, plastic pollution is literally choking the planet. At the current rate, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by the year 2050.  

The life span of a plastic bag is 15 minutes. Think about it. A product made to last for centuries is only usable for 15 minutes. It is time to stop using single-use plastic as they have devastating consequences to the marine ecosystem. 

Additionally, the potential dangers of microplastics are scary. Get this, every plastic ever manufactured still exists. And it is mainly in the oceans. The sun and bacteria break the plastic into smaller pieces called microplastics. The scary part is that microplastic is getting into the food chain as the sea life ingests it. 

If you are a frequent eater of seafood, you should know that about 67% of seafood contains microplastic. Although scientists haven’t confirmed that microplastics have negative effects on human health, the toxic chemicals in plastic could only mean that microplastics are bad for our environment and health.

As stated, microplastics exist in two categories. Primary microplastics are largely manufactured as capsules, microbeads, pellets, and fibers. A classic example of these microplastics includes the microbeads used in the manufacturing of personal care products and cosmetics. Other types of primary microplastics include the textile industry’s microfibers, industrial scrubbers utilized for abrasive cleaning, and the resin pellets used in the manufacturing of plastic.

Secondary microplastics are derived from the breakdown of larger parts of plastics. The prolonged exposure to sunlight makes it possible for plastic to fragment into smaller pieces.

Are microplastics dangerous to humans?

Plastic waste accounts for millions of metric tons of waste disposed of in oceans annually. This plastic waste breaks down and becomes microplastics in the long-run.  Some of the marine animals that humans consume, such as fish, have extreme amounts of microplastics.

Although the health impacts of microplastics are unknown, the toxic chemicals in these particles can be dangerous to humans. In regards to human health, microplastics’ main concern is the high levels of carcinogenic chemicals and toxins they introduce to the human body.  Some potentially harmful chemicals in microplastics have been found in humans and other animal species, including birds and a variety of marine species.

Research on the marine species in the Pacific Ocean shows that 25% of the fish spices have microplastics. When people eat the fish, they pose a severe dietary risk thanks to the contaminants associated with them. Away from marine species, microplastics are also prevalent in household dust and air. As such, humans are likely to breathe them on an everyday basis. Exposure to such contaminants can lead to a host of diseases. For instance, some microplastics have plentiful of chemicals believed to ruin the respiratory system when they come into contact with humans.

In a nutshell, microplastics may be dangerous to human beings since the chemicals and toxins in them can impact human health adversely. Nonetheless, scientists need to conduct extensive research to point out the specific implications that these particles have on humans.

What are some of the potential health effects of microplastics?

The severity of the health effects of microplastics depends on the levels of toxins in the microplastics that humans are exposed to. While microplastics’ health effects aren’t documented, preliminary research shows that these tiny particles have several potentially harmful effects on humans.

For instance, microplastics are associated with increased inflammatory response. This response can lead to inflammation and a host of inflammatory ailments. Mammalian systems modeling insinuate that some microplastics can replicate across living cells, eventually accumulating in organs. These particles can, after that, affect cell health and further impact the immune system. Scientists recently observed that microplastics could aggravate inflammation in the tissues. In their high levels, they can cause necrosis and cellular proliferation.

Prolonged exposure to microplastics and the harmful chemicals contained in them can affect biological systems. A recent study has linked microplastics with multiple conditions and diseases such as hormonal cancers, metabolic disorders, asthma, reproductive problems, and neurodevelopment conditions like autism, learning disorders, and spectrum disorders.  

To understand the scope of the severity that microplastics have on human health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for additional research into these tiny plastic particles. According to the global health body, research will help unearth the specific implications that microplastics have on human health. 

The overabundance of marine pollution has adverse consequences. Below are the major implications of marine pollution.

• Kills marine life and jeopardizes human health– pollution leaves debris in the water. The waste is hazardous and chemically harmful. They can kill a wide array of marine life. Courtesy of marine pollution discarded broken glass, plastic and metal cans can harm fish and humans. Trash litters beaches alongside coastal areas, hence affecting human life. When in large quantities, debris can hinder ships from navigating.
• Pollutants in the food chain- fish and other water creatures can consume pollutants, including chemicals, heavy metals, and garbage. Since humans consume these animals, the pollutants in them can quickly get to the food chain, finally accumulating in various seafood consumed by humans. Marine pollution contaminates shellfish and mussels that the seafood industry relies on.
• Source of ailments– marine pollution exposes humans who come into contact with contaminated water to several illnesses. For instance, a reproductive system failure can occur from prolonged exposure to toxic agricultural and industrial chemicals. Pollutants in ocean waters can expose humans to eye and skin irritation. Moreover, liver and lung problems can develop following exposure to oil by-products and oil spillages in the oceans. 
• Disrupts the aquatic environment– the excess phosphorous and nitrogen resulting from widespread water pollution can lead to algal blooms. This disruption affects the ecosystem since algae overrun the ecosystem over time. Once alga blooms start to decompose and sink, the ocean waters’ oxygen levels can deplete drastically. This creates dead zones since marine life is unable to thrive in that hostile aquatic environment. Eventually, the disruption caused scares away fish and other marine species, prompting them to leave. Other fish species die if they are unable to flee.

Environmentalists have expressed concerns that the gains made on the war against plastic pollution are quickly being reversed during the pandemic.  Before the lockdowns, the use of plastic bags was in retreat.  Various governments had subjected plastics to strict restrictions in many places. As such, the world was becoming highly mindful of plastic products. Companies were opting for more sustainable packaging options.  

As mentioned before, the use of plastic primarily for making protective gear is surging. Also, suppliers are increasingly using single-use plastic to wrap products as it is more hygienic. The scenario is threatening to undo the many years of progress witnessed after the ban of plastic products.