Microplastics

Uncommon card · No. 119322

Microplastics are "synthetic solid particulate matter or polymeric matrices, with regular or irregular shape and with size ranging from 1 μm to 5 mm, of either primary or secondary manufacturing origin, which are insoluble in water." Microplastics cause pollution by entering natural ecosystems from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, construction, renovation, food packaging, and industrial processes. However, there are different microplastic remediation strategies that can help mitigate the effects of plastic pollution. The term microplastics is used to differentiate them from larger, non-microscopic plastic waste. Two classifications of microplastics are currently recognized. Primary microplastics include any plastic fragments or particles that are already 5 mm in size or less before entering the environment. These include microfibers from clothing, microbeads, plastic glitter and plastic pellets (also known as nurdles). Secondary microplastics arise from the degradation...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Martin Wagner et al., CC BY 4.0