Nanoplastics & Microplastics – A deadly threat to the Humans

What are Nanoplastics and Microplastics?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) and European Chemicals Agency , nanoplastics are defined as particles 1 nm ≤ x ≤ 1 μm, and microplastics are any kind of plastic debris less than 5 mm (0.20 inches) in length. These plastics enter and pollute natural ecosystems from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, food packaging, and industrial processes.

Nano plastics and microplastics generally originated from two major classifications that are currently recognized:

• Primary nano or microplastics include plastic fragments or particles that are already 5.0 mm or less in size before they are released into the environment. These include clothing microfibers, microbeads, and plastic pellets (aka nurdles).
• Secondary nano or microplastics are produced by the decomposition (decay) of large plastic products by natural weathering processes after being released into the environment. Sources of these secondary plastics include water and soda bottles, fishing nets, plastic bags, microwave containers, tea bags, and tire debris.

Both types of plastics are known to persist in high concentrations in the environment, especially in aquatic and marine ecosystems where they contribute to water pollution. 35% of all nano plastics or microplastics in the ocean originate from textiles/garments, mainly due to the erosion of polyester, acrylic, or nylon-based garments during the laundering process. However, these plastics can also accumulate in the air and terrestrial ecosystems.

Environmental impacts and biological integration into organisms

As plastics degrade slowly (often over hundreds to thousands of years), people are exposed to these plastics in low concentrations for long periods (nearly a lifetime). Nano plastics are more difficult to detect than microplastics and due to their smaller size, nano plastics can penetrate cell membranes and affect cell function. Studies have shown that potential routes of human exposure to plastics are ingestion, air inhalation, and dermal exposure, and these plastics have been detected in human lungs and blood samples.

Conclusion

The environmental and biological effects of these new pollutants have not yet been fully studied, and the current levels of these plastics in the environment are too low to affect human health. Researchers are coming up with various recycling, biodegradation, and filtering methods for plastics to prevent them from rising before they could cross the red line.