I. What are microplastics?
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic in the environment or products used every day. They are usually made from polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene. These microplastics are commonly found all over the world: oceans, rivers, soil and many other environments.
The origin of microplastics is also very diverse, they often exist in products such as toothpaste, scrubs, shampoos… According to experts, people can absorb microplastics when drinking water. or when using prepackaged foods.
What are microplastics?
II. Where are microplastics found?
Where are microplastics found ? As mentioned above, microplastics exist all over the world. They will then be consumed by animals, even crept into the human body.
1. Microplastics are found in beauty products
In beauty products such as facial cleansers, scrubs, shower gels, shampoos… will often contain a certain amount of microplastic particles . They usually exist in the form of tiny colorful plastic particles.
They have the effect of penetrating the skin to help remove oil and dirt, but also have a little effect on human health. The more microplastics the body consumes, the greater the impact will be.
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2. Microplastics in bottled water
You may not know, in the filtered water bottle we use every day contains a lot of microplastic particles . If these water bottles are exposed to high humidity and temperature or when exposed to sunlight; The process of decomposing plastic will accelerate, releasing harmful substances into the water.
Microplastics in bottled water
3. Microplastics in food
In the process of daily life and production, people will release a large amount of microplastics into the environment. If not handled properly, when discharged into the environment, animals and plants will absorb microplastics. When people use food made from animals, plants will inadvertently absorb microplastic particles into the body .
Dutch scientists have studied and detected microplastics in human blood. Tiny microplastics were found in nearly 80% of test participants. It has proven that humans will absorb microplastics from foods containing microplastics .
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4. Microplastics in the air
Many studies have shown that the air contains many tiny microplastic particles . Inhaling them in large quantities will harm the respiratory system and have a high risk of poisoning.
Because they are so small and mixed in the air, it will be difficult for humans to see. So we need to take measures to prevent such as using air purifiers, wearing masks …
Microplastic particles in the air
III. Are microplastics harmful?
If you already know what microplastics are ? Then you also partly know how harmful they are to the environment as well as to people. When microplastic particles accumulate in the environment, the higher the level of environmental pollution will be. They will pollute the environment water, soil, air and many other environments.
In addition, they are also considered to have a great impact on human health. Microplastics contain phthalates (a chemical used to plasticize plastics) that have been shown to increase the growth of cancer cells. If the human body accumulates a greater amount of this substance, the degree of influence will be higher. Microplastics are also harmful to the respiratory system if people breathe them in the air.
As can be seen, microplastics are quite toxic to human health and the environment. In order to have good health, people need to take safety precautions. Should eat sensibly, limit the use of disposable packaging, reduce the amount of plastic waste released into the environment… to limit the amount of microplastic particles .
Microplastics are dangerous to human health
