by In order to reduce the amount of microplastics entering the United Kingdom environment, the government has announced that a ban will be introduced on the sale of wet wipes containing plastic in the country.
Steve Barclay, the Environment Secretary, announced the steps being taken to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic. It comes as a survey found that an average of 20 wet wipes were found per 100 meters of beach across the UK.
Wet wipes also throw microplastics into the environment. The UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology defines microplastics as small plastic particles with a diameter of less than 5mm.
In a statement, Barclay said: “Wet wipes containing plastic are polluting our waterways and introducing microplastics into the environment.
“Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) will introduce legislation before the summer break to tackle this unnecessary source of pollution, following our successful charge on single-use carrier bags and the ban on microbeads in personal care products .”
It comes as scientists are beginning to examine the impact of microplastics on human health.
Where does microplastic come from?
Microplastics – and wet wipes – microbeads, and plastic pellets come mainly from clothing microfibers. They also enter the environment as small fragments from larger pieces of litter, such as plastic bags, bottles or packaging.
They can measure between 5mm and one micrometer in length – small enough to enter human cells.
Once in waterways, soil, and the general environment, microplastics contaminate everything – including living people. A wide range of studies around the world have shown that animals are ingesting the polluting microplastics, including aquatic wildlife and wild birds.
A study conducted by the United Kingdom’s Center for Ecology and Hydrology found microplastic fibers in the guts of freshwater fish living in the River Thames, for example. Another study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment earlier this year also found microplastics in the digestive and respiratory systems of birds of prey.
In fact, every bird tested in the study had at least one microplastic in their digestive system. The presence of microplastics in the respiratory systems of 65% of the birds tested also suggests that the animals are breathing in the pollutants.
There is evidence that microplastics have a negative impact on the animals that ingest or breathe them in. The pollutants prevent them from feeding well, and can affect their ability to grow, reproduce and defend themselves from predators.
How harmful are microplastics to humans?
Look: Microplastics in blood linked to stroke, heart attack and early death, study finds
Since plastic plays a huge role in people’s daily lives, and it is known that people can ingest microplastics through the food chain, studies are being carried out to determine the impact on human health.
A 2019 study by the American Chemical Society suggested that people eat and inhale up to 211,000 microplastic particles each year.
The first study to link microplastics to health problems was published earlier this year. Scientists discovered that people who had microplastics in their blood vessels were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.
Researchers in Naples, Italy, examined the amount of plaque found in the arteries of 257 patients, who underwent surgery to remove it. They found micro or nanoplastics in more than half of the samples.
It also found that participants who had microplastic in their plaque sample were almost five times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or death than those who did not.
A separate study also found that all human placentas examined and tested by the researchers contained microplastics, raising concerns about the potential health consequences for growing babies.
Scientists analyzed 62 placental tissue samples and found microplastics in all of them. The most common microplastic found was polyethylene, which is commonly used to make plastic bags and bottles.
Microplastics have also been found in human blood and breast milk. The World Health Organization has called for more research to be done on the potential health effects of the polluting substances.
Should I be worried about microplastics?
Although microplastics are becoming more widespread, it is still not clear how much of an impact they have on our health, and whether we should be worried about whether they will make us sick.
Scientists are in the middle of studies and tests to see how the presence of microplastics in our bodies affects our health. It remains to be determined how long they stay in the body and whether they contain chemicals that will be harmful.
However, there is ample evidence that microplastics are harmful to the environment and wildlife around us. They have even been found in remote corners of the planet, with scientists confirming that microplastic levels in Antarctica’s remote Weddell Sea are even higher than previously thought.
Chemicals released from microplastics as they degrade can also affect soil and water, with potentially harmful consequences for animals and organisms. The UN Environment Program has called for “eliminating unnecessary plastic” and “redesigning products” to help end plastic pollution.
The organization said it is essential to redesign products and packaging “so that they can be reused, repaired and recycled more easily, and switch to non-plastic substitutes that help protect the environment, human health and our economy”.
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