Microplastics: A New Frontier

Microplastics

A New Frontier

To understand and address any potential hazards posed by ‘microplastics’, broader participation from the scientific community would be helpful. Two publications have concluded minimal health hazards posed by ‘microplastics’. While research activities should continue in this field, we may need to tone down the narrative.

S. K. Ray

Hon. Secretary & Member of Executive Committee, Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE), Mumbai Despite their beneficial roles in food, medical and other areas of human endeavour, plastics attract negative public glare. Vivid images of waste in terrestrial and aquatic environments generate adverse perceptions. To this, has now been added the frenzy of research, debates and publications on microplastics. Majority of these voices are concerned about the possible impact on human health. Do these tell the full and true story? Let’s explore this new frontier.

Clarifying the Ambiguity About Microplastics

The debate, even amongst scientific communities, includes all microparticles derived from various synthetic polymers. Occasionally microparticles of other man-made fibres are also included under the overarching definition of microplastics - be it fragments of plastics, as understood by common man, or fragments of synthetic fibres and rubber. Any of these microparticles in the range of 5 mm to 1 micron in size, irrespective of their shapes or polymer types, are included in the definition of microplastics. Larger particles are categorised as meso-plastics and macro-plastics. The latter being plastic articles or large fragments of plastic articles. Particles smaller than 1 micron are put under the category of nano-plastics. As far as sizes are concerned, there, fortunately, is some broad agreement.

Using the criteria of size alone is inadequate for studying microplastics. Both shape and polymer types are critical determinants. These were

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often overlooked in the past and are now being included for a better understanding of the issue and are necessary to understand probable risk factors to inform possible mitigation strategies. When we use a wider brush to define microplastics by including synthetic fibre and rubber microparticles, it creates confusion. Strategies to address challenges, if any, posed by these microparticles would be different than those posed by ‘microplastics’. At the definitional stage itself, we face ambiguity.

Would regulating the use or elimination of single-use-plastics (SUP) help make an impact on microplastics in the environment? Don’t fault an ordinary citizen if she or he thinks so. To begin with, the share of SUPs in the overall use of all types of plastic material is small. Hence, their contribution to the generation of microplastics is also miniscule. Most findings on the same page in our understanding of potential health hazards posed by microplastics. Despite all the debates surrounding microplastics, our current science-based understanding points to very low hazards as compared to many other microparticles present in the environment.

‘microplastics’ from field surveys in the terrestrial, atmospheric and aquatic environments point to predominance of synthetic fibre and rubber micro- and nano-particles. Including shapes and polymer types can help scientists provide meaningful direction to public policies and mitigation strategies.

The ambiguity about shape and polymer types in microplastics complicates health hazard studies. Polymers are a wide range of materials, both natural and synthetic. Many synthetic polymers with identical chemical structure exist as plastic materials as well as fibre or even elastomers. Prominent types are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylic, polyamide 6 (nylon-6) and polyamide 66 (nylon-66). These are widely used as fibres in the textile industry - as fabrics, fibres and twines. While a consumer would view them differently, studies on microplastics aggregate them. We, thus, are not on

In Search of Solutions

While the presence of macro and meso-plastics in marine and terrestrial environments is widely explored, there are limited studies on microplastics in terrestrial and atmospheric compartments. There is a plethora of studies on micro- and nano-plastics particles in marine biota and their perceived potential to impact human health. Most of these experiments are carried out in laboratory settings

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