As the name implies, microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than five millimeters, evaluated in primary and secondary microplastics subcategories. The former, derived from microfibers, cosmetics, tire abrasion, paints, and coatings, primarily serve commercial purposes. Secondary microplastics, however, result from the disintegration of larger plastics. However, the main problem with microplastics is the capability of segmentation into smaller sizes caused by the sun’s radiation and dispersing quickly through ocean waves in water resources, which was the only thing that I was concerned about at the end of the report.

 

However, the ways which these microplastics are produced are not restricted: agricultural techniques such as the widespread use of crop films,  irrigation pipes,  nutrient tablets, and seed coatings, local tourism activities as poor or non-existent local waste management systems, uncontrolled discharge of wastewater from cruise ships and the massive consumption of single-use plastic products, or a large number of personal care products lead the formation of microplastics, and these substances are carried to the water supplies via major pathways like winds, floods, stormwater, and sewage effluents, our could reach to waters by passing the water treatment plants. As these particles are included in aquatic ecosystems, they can easily be involved in the food chain through marine species.

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According to the “Microplastic Report” published by Greenpeace in 2019, 44% of marine species in Turkish seas were detected to contain microplastics in their body corresponding to 220 billion particles. When the scale is expanded to oceans worldwide, this amount is estimated to range between 50 trillion to 75 trillion particles. The implications of such widespread contamination are profound, prompting a sobering reflection on the distressing reality of the plastic footprint we unknowingly carry within our bodies.