Friday, April 17, 2020

Microplastics


Microplastics, tiny bits of plastic, are really hard to remove from the ocean.  Most nets can’t catch them because the holes are too wide. Fish can swallow microplastics and when you eat the fish you can ingest plastic.  This is dangerous to humans because human bodies can’t break down the microplastics. Also, the microplastics are from plastic bottles that have deteriorated from the crashing waves and have been made into very small pieces that can harm sea life. 

Microplastics get into their digestive system and get into the fish from inside or the plastic can just stay in the fish until it is eaten or dies. You can NOT throw your bottles and garbage on the ground, instead, make sure it goes into recycling. You can go to your local beach and do a cleanup day and pick up the garbage and plastics so they don't get into the water. When you kayak or fish, you can pick up plastics you see in the water, so they don't become microplastics.

You can make a big change and talk to local leaders and vote to ban plastic bags because they usually just get thrown away or even are blown into the water and out to sea.


Microplastic
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how Microplastic get in fish
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3 comments:

  1. You are so right! Microplastics are so dangerous for our world. We can all try to limit our plastic usage and always recycle. This is so important to share. Great work!

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  2. Logan, I have long wondered how we can avoid ingesting plastics from the fish we eat. It is neither healthy for the fish nor for us!
    I liked your diagram showing us how the microplastics come from the discarded plastics and end up in the ocean's food cycle. Did you create it yourself? What were your sources?
    This inspires me to pick up more plastics that I see on the ground. I already reduce, reuse and recycle my plastics.
    Thanks! ~LizQ

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  3. Lots of really interesting information here Logan; it’s great that you have discovered so much and have ideas about how people can do something about it. I live on a small island and we notice lots of nurdles being washed up onto our beaches, they are the tiny plastic pellets that are using when plastic items are made. We pick up lots but there are 1000s of them so we would love everyone to use fewer plastic things.

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