Activity 3.3.3- My Plastic Use

Information of Microplastics

 In this blog I'll be explaining the cause and effects of microplastics and how they are harmful to us. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that can be measured to five millimeters long and can be the outcome of being harmful to our ocean and aquatic life. Based on an article posted by the Ocean National Service tells us that the microplastics can be found in our oceans and in the Great Lakes. Furthermore, later in the article it goes on to explain where they come from and how they get to the ocean. And so, by giving this information is that microplastics are made up of items that are used for health and beauty products  and those kinds of plastics are called Polyethene plastics. Moreover, regarding this issue the way they get to the ocean and other places of aquatic life is that they consist of breaking down and having to be made into microbeads. Once that's done it is then going to plenty of waterways that then can be mistaken for food by many aquatic life within the oceanic ecosystem. And even though before the plastics get to the ocean they still pose a big threat despite all the filtration systems. However these problems aren't new to our world and have been a problem to our ecosystems for the past fifty years and so with that said it means that our health and safety products have been negatively effective for a while now.  With this problem not relatively  being known since 2012 this problem has gotten worse to where it has been known even by the president. President Barack Obama signed a treaty called the Microbead-Free Water Act of 2015. And what that did is that it helped banning the products of plastic microbeads that are put in cosmetics and personal care products which in this case is a good step towards avoiding more microplastic beads replacing each and every part of our natural habitats regarding our oceans. Because as far as it goes most of the things that are involved in continuing this problem are commercial product developments, not only that but even the things we use everyday are being harmful towards our ecosystems. Reason why is because based on an article that has been released by National Geographic shows how even our clothes can shed microfibers and then be in use helping with the destruction of our ecosystem. And based on the article written in National Geographic a sample collected from the waters of Hawaii shows a picture of all the microbeads seen and released into the wild and shows how each and every single item can be a threat to each aquatic animal. Overall, the good thing about this problem is that with the sign and support of the President it shows and concludes that there is research being performed, however with the background information given by National Ocean Service it shows that there are still things that they haven't discovered. Regardless, taking these steps towards helping avoid plastic replacing our natural ecosystems shows that we need to have a part in it to help reduce this plastic crisis. And like at the end of the source stated it tells us that the best way to avoid this on our part is to Reuse. Reduce and Recycle.

Summary

Above are the items that I'd use everyday and reason why is because I use them for own care safety. Regarding the water bottle I've been wanting to get my own water bottle however since I work in the sun  a lot a water bottle cold from the vending machine is what I have to work with however, I have been helping with reducing the pollution considering that I do like to recycle a lot. After that regarding the deodorant which is something a lot of people use everyday is something that doesn't get thrown away after short period of time it helps us with our own care. However it is something that is still affecting our environment if not properly disposed of. Even if it's not thrown away after aw while it is still plastic and it has still been seen in the wild after its use. After would be the hand sanitizer, which in todays society is used a lot. A lot of hand sanitizer bottles have been responsible for washing out in the ocean because of it not being recycled and so with that image it is something that we use within 3 days, but depending on the person it's always best to dispose of it properly and recycle. 

Citations

US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “What Are Microplastics?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, 13 Apr. 2016, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html.

“Microplastics.” National Geographic Society, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/microplastics.