Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful to the environment and animal health.
Microplastics are not biodegradable. Thus, once in the environment, primary and secondary microplastics accumulate and persist. Microplastics have been found in a variety of environments, including oceans and freshwater ecosystems.
Simplified microplastic entry pathways and uptake points in terrestrial and aquatic environments. © Wasser 3.0.
Microplastics have become a ubiquitous pollutant in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. They’ve been detected everywhere from artic ice to deep sea sediments, in fresh (raw) milk, and in the tissues of domesticated animals.
Our oceans are being filled and killed by throwaway plastics. But together, we can create a movement to reduce throwaway plastic at the source and save our oceans.
We’re back with NOAA’s Dr. Jennifer Webster on the topic of microplastics. “Why are microplastics harmful” is one of the most-Googled questions surrounding microplastics.
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is Australia's tropical marine research agency. It has its headquarters at Townsville, near the centre of the Great Barrier Reef, and operates additional facilities in Perth and Darwin.
Because they are so small, wildlife often mistake microplastics for food. Fish, mussels, and even whales consume microplastics.
