TO CHECK YOUR PRODUCTS FOR MICROPLASTICS, GO TO:
See lists catergorized by amount of microplastics, and dangers of product
OR
Search amount of microplastics and danger by product name
We Are the Fanplastics h2o...
an 8th grade Utah science group attempting to educate others about the dangers of plastic
Plastic Pollution
More than 75 percent of the plastic water bottles we on a daily basis end up discarded in landfills. In the U.S. landfills are overflowing with over 2 million tons of discarded water bottles It takes up to 1,000 years for each single water bottle to decompose. Each bottle leaks harmful toxins into our environment along the way. When it is finally done decomposing, it is ground into thousands of tiny toxic particles (which have the possibility to have infinite lives, as they can simply grow smaller and smaller.) which can even be found in our bodies! These particles can even absorb poisons from around their environments, spreading contamination far beyond their normal ecosystems.
Danger of Microbeads
Plastic is getting under our skin. Literally. As the use of plastic is becoming more and more ubiquitous in our modern society, it is important to understand what products contain plastics, and how they affect us. Microbeads, which are minuscule beads of plastic, can be found in a shockingly large number of products that many of us use daily. Some of these products include things like toothpaste! The makeup of plastic allows toxins to accumulate on and in it. Given the toxicity of the plastics we encounter daily, it is terrifying that most cosmetics and health products contain at least one ingredient that is classified as a plastic. In over 19 countries, including the US, Canada, China, France, and India have banned microbeads from products. Unfortunately, many of these bans only went into effect recently, so many products still have microbeads in them, many companies ignore the ban, or they still use different products that are just as bad, such as microcrystalline wax. Despite the ban on microbeads, we are still not safe from the threats of plastics. Another consideration is that most of these plastics end up infiltrating our ecosystems. In fact, according to many sources, 80-90% of microplastics end up back in our environments, causing irreparable damage to ecosystems around the world.
Microplastics
Primary micro-plastics are classified as bits of decomposed plastic waste that are smaller than 5 mm. One of the unique characteristics of PET plastics (the most commonly used)is that it can absorb all types of toxins from the environment. As plastic decomposes its surface area increases, increasing the amount of poison that can be absorbed, and transported to different ecosystems. These particles can even infiltrate lakes and sealed freshwater systems through a wide variety of weather patterns. Why are they important? Around 60% of the million annual marine animal deaths are caused by poisoning from ingesting plastics. However, it is not just animals that are at risk. Studies have found that over 93% of tap water in the USA, and 70% of European water contains micro-plastics. This means that even humans are at risk of ingesting toxins. Over 50 studies worldwide have found that even after regular filtration, the average human ingests over 300 grams of plastic yearly! Studies also show that the average American adult consumes between 126 and 142 tiny particles of plastic every day, and inhales up to another 132-270 micro-plastics daily too! (University of Victoria). We know normal plastic is bad, so we need to reduce micro-plastics.
Map of Microplastics
The map above shows the areas of plastic pollution in a specific area. We chose to map the East Pacific, because of the fact that it is has one of the highest densities of plastic pollution in the world. The darker areas show plastic counts above 500 thousand. The lighter areas contain counts nearer to one hundred. The dots show the plastic beds that travel along the currents coming from Asia, one of the worlds biggest plastic producers.
Goals:
-Eliminate Remaining Micro-beads from Households
- Identify and reduce the threat of Microcrystalline Wax
- Create a biodegradable plastic that can be used and produced easily in a commercial setting such as grocery stores to wrap fresh produce, instead of using plastic wrap.
-Eliminate Remaining Micro-beads from Households
- Identify and reduce the threat of Microcrystalline Wax
- Create a biodegradable plastic that can be used and produced easily in a commercial setting such as grocery stores to wrap fresh produce, instead of using plastic wrap.