To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean?

Jack Owen0042578

“To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with
Primary plastic pollution in the ocean?”

Jack Owen, Richard Huish College, 2021

Introduction

Plastics, or rather the synthetic polymers associated with the term, have from their
early development in the 19th century1 grown in popularity into the 20 and 21st
century in which the plastics became more prominent in daily living in fashion,
domestic uses and toys. But the history of plastics is not all glorious, as the use of
these polymers not found in nature would have a vast effect on the world in all
habitats and have devastating effects on the communities in these habitats. While
there are numerous forms of plastics causing problems in all ecosystems this report
shall be focusing on the microplastics in the ocean. Microplastics are small plastic
particles that are less than five millimetres in diameter and can be categorised as
being either primary or secondary. The distinction is that primary microplastics are
tiny particles designed for commercial use, while secondary microplastics are the
result of the breakdown of larger plastic items due to exposure to environmental
factors such as the sun’s radiation and ocean waves. Both types of microplastics do
not break down into harmless molecules like natural polymers. Instead, plastics
including microplastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to break down, in
which interruptions to marine ecosystems occur. Therefore, the reduction of
countries’ use of plastic and removal in environments has been made a priority by
countries and actions are being taken to combat the growing microplastic problem.

Focusing on researching microplastics and the available technology which has been
manufactured to aid in reducing the magnitude of the problem, this report can then
compare this to the action that is being taken on varying levels of policy making in
order to conclude whether it is the technology that is limiting the actions taken or the
actions that are not fully applying the technology to the problem. However, through
this investigation it appears that the technology is almost to the standard to tackle
the threat, but the will to take the steps towards dealing with this growing issue is
what is lacking. New technologies are being discovered regularly to assist in the fight
against microplastics in the ocean, whether in the form of sampling or in an attempt
to reduce microplastic release into the environment, but there has always been the
ability to challenge the microplastic spread but this report will be investigating
whether we have the motivation to use such abilities to the fullest extent to stem the
issue of microplastic. Naturally, there are challenges when faced with this statement.
The term “technology” is subjective as in order to manage the problem of
microplastics in the ocean multiple type of technology must be implemented. Since
there are large differences in the technology to accommodate their specific function,
This report will look into them as sub units. This will include technology that prevents
microplastics from entering the ocean, that removes any microplastics and the
sampling technology that is being used to monitor the current state of the ocean. An
addition to this is the development of substitutes to previous products that produced

1
Bellis, M. (2020). The History of Plastics From Photographic Film to Polyester Suits. Retrieved 8 September
2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-plastics-1992322#:~:text=%20A%20Brief%20History%20of
%20the%20Invention%20of,of%20the%20evolution%20of%20plastics.%20%20More%20

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To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen0042578

microplastics. By doing so all that could come under “technology” is explored.

Another aspect to consider is the use of “will,”. In the context of this report, this is an
amalgamation of both social and economic factors which together act to either
motivate people or suppress such motivation. Therefore, this can be due to
economic factors such as price which is a key factor in many governmental bodies
decisions. This links to the factors presented under politics which can make or break
the action taken against any issue. But there is also the will of the public to consider
which without enticement can be minimal. Without having research into microplastics
in the ocean many may have no idea of their existence, only being educated by the
media through characters such as David Attenborough in his documentaries. But
without this information the populace would have no motivation to take action against
a problem which they do not know is there. With this in mind this report intends to
consider this and put all discussed factors into consideration when deciding whether
it is technology holding us back or the public’s will.

In order to evaluate the statement this report will be looking into a series of questions
in order to finally accumulate an answer to whether it is the technology that is the
problem or our attitudes. The first field to consider is the microplastics themselves.
This report will be considering the cause of the microplastics and the effect they
have on the environment and the part they play in interrupting the communities
within the environment. This report will look into the technology which is already
available, varying from technology which keeps the microplastics out of the ocean to
technologies which remove pre-existing microplastic particles, as well as including
the use of analytical technology which is used to extrapolate values to be recorded
and compared to show trends and developments. Once this is done, the action being
taken already must be considered. This is taken from a local, national and global
view to provide a full understanding of different actions taken on those layers. Lastly,
this report shall be making the final decision on whether people do have the
technology and if so then is it the will which is holding back the effort to improve
microplastic contamination.

Research Review

This project will be looking into the microplastic problem in our oceans, in addition to
the technology that has been developed to counteract the issue and the actions
taken from a local, national and international level in order to answer the question.
This promotes the exploration of numerous sources of information when answering
the subunits within the question.

What is the microplastic problem?

As I’ve stated, microplastics can be categorised as either Primary or secondary, with

each having alternate manufacturing methods but still resulting in the production of
microplastics that are harmful to the environment. Primary microplastics2 are
microplastics which are intentionally added to primary sources such as personal
care, as shown in figure 13. The intention behind this use of microplastics in cosmetic
products is abrasion and exfoliation, but the microbeads in certain cosmetic products
2
"Microplastics, microbeads: What you did not know about self-care products." Down To Earth, 8 June 2020, p.
NA. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A626061731/GPS?
u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=4d806be5. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.

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To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen0042578

end up in drains and subsequently in bodies of water, finally being deposited into the
ocean. Once present microbeads’ abrasive quality becomes harmful to marine
organisms, but equally as harmful to us. Cosmetic products that contain microbeads
can open skin pores, allowing bacteria and other pollutants to accumulate. Equally,
the abrasive material in toothpaste can get stuck in the gums and bones of the jaw,
trapping bacteria which can lead to Gingivitis, consequences of which are bleeding
of the gums and weakening of the teeth.

Secondary microplastics4, as shown in figure 25, involve the breakdown of larger

plastics items due to an environmental factor, mainly being the sun’s radiation and
abrasion by waves. With an exponential growth in plastic being used globally, as
seen by comparing the consumption of oil to the plastic input entering the ocean in
the Jambeck et al. (2015)6, there has been a significant increase in the amount of
microplastics in our oceans, from where it can travel over large distances and
accumulate into high concentrations. The abundance of microplastics can impact
food chains by being ingested by marine organisms, which can cause physical
damage, leading to starvation and eventually death. However, once microplastics
3
Good, K. (2015). Could the Tide Against Plastic Microbeads Finally Be Turning for the Better? [online] One
Green Planet. Available at: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/could-the-tide-against-plastic-
microbeads-finally-be-turning-for-the-better/ [Accessed 18 Nov. 2020].
4
AUTHOR=Kane Ian A., Clare Michael A. TITLE=Dispersion, Accumulation, and the Ultimate Fate of
Microplastics in Deep-Marine Environments: A Review and Future Directions JOURNAL=Frontiers in Earth
Science VOLUME=7 YEAR=2019 PAGES=80
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2019.00080 DOI=10.3389/feart.2019.00080
ISSN=2296-6463
5
Society, N. (2020). Microplastics. Retrieved 23 September 2020, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/microplastics/
6
Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., et al. (2015). Plastic waste
inputs from land into the ocean. Science 347, 768–771. doi: 10.1126/science.1260352

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To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen0042578

enter the food chain the plastic particles can continue to be ingested through the
upper trophic levels, causing bioaccumulation and biomagnification7.

The main issue that microplastic pollution raises is that although we knew about
plastic pollution as early as the 1970’s8, it wasn’t truly recognised scientifically until
much later when the effect of plastic pollution became more blatant, especially in

larger marine mammals such as dolphins and turtles9, in which time microplastics
were already readily available to marine ecosystems globally. A study done by
Katsia Pabortsava
in the Atlantic ocean found that microplastic in the ocean could weigh 21 million
tonnes, an increase of 24% from the original estimate of 17 million tonnes. The
study10 found that the three most common polymers indicated that the plastics were
from packaging, a source of secondary microplastics. But what the study also
highlights is that awareness of microplastics in the ocean is lower while studies did
not include the smaller microplastics that weren’t being taken into consideration by
not being sampled with the fine gauzes necessary. This lack of information is
improving but ongoing research is still required if we are to counteract the damage
the microplastic problem is causing11.

Due to microplastics in the ocean, there also has been an effect on terrestrial
organisms that is harmful for all natural ecosystems, and also effects the human
population. This is due to the idea of plastic accumulating up the food chain, but
starting at the producer level. An investigation led by Lianzhen Li and Yongming Luo
at the Chinese Academy of Science12 proved that plants could accumulate
microplastics in their tissues, after performing an experiment on Lettuce and Wheat
7
Provencher, J. F., Ammendolia, J., Rochman, C. M., and Mallory, M. L. (2018). Assessing plastic debris in
aquatic food webs, what we know and don't know about uptake and trophic transfer. Environ. Rev. doi:
10.1139/er-2018-0079
8
Carpenter, E. J., and Smith, K. L. (1972). Plastics on the Sargasso sea surface. Science 175, 1240–1241.
9
Gall, S. C., and Thompson, R. C. (2015). The impact of debris on marine life. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 92, 170–179.
doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.12.041
10
Gill, V. (2020). Microplastic in Atlantic Ocean 'could weigh 21 million tonnes'. Retrieved 17 October 2020, from
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53786555
11
Barboza, L. G. A., Vethaak, A. D., Lavorante, B. R., Lundebye, A. K., and Guilhermino, L. (2018). Marine
microplastic debris: an emerging issue for food security, food safety and human health. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 133,
336–348. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.047

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To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen0042578

that had there roots exposed to microplastic particles. The results of this experiment
found that microplastics with a diameter of 0.2 micrometers and 2.0 micrometers had
passed into the roots of the plants and been transported through the vascular system
of the plants into the stem and leaves. Usually only small particles such as
potassium ions can pass through the roots into vascular system, but further research
found that microplastics with a diameter of 0.2 micrometers pass into the vascular
system by entering gaps in the apical meristem, while the 2.0 micrometer diameter
microplastic could pass through holes in the endodermis where secondary roots
grew directly out of the vascular tissue, as shown in figure 313. Although further
experiments are required in order to confirm whether this principle is the same for
crop plants from a more natural environment, the principle itself is extremely useful
as the presence of microplastic in water has implications for all organisms, especially
humans since currently there is no research done into the effect of microplastics on
human tissues.

Already microplastics have been found in human tissues, although the scientific
community has yet to confirm what threats this could pose. An investigation led by

Rolf Halden of Arizona State University14, using a new technique, were able to
extract and analyse microplastic in human tissues. The analysis found polyethylene
terepthalate, polyethylene, and bisphenol A in every human tissue sample they
tested. This is very concerning as the presence of microplastics in all the human
tissue samples would suggest that microplastics are already being regularly
consumed and accumulating within our bodies. Although the research hasn’t been
done yet into the effect this bioaccumulation has on us, the comparison to other
mammals is severe. As such, the necessity to tackle the issue of microplastics is
crucial, but the question remains on what can be done to tackle an issue which
already is having such drastic effects globally.

12
Moore, Kati. "Plastic in Plants." Natural History, vol. 28, no. 8, Sept. 2020, p. 8. Gale General OneFile,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A634547165/GPS?u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=dd047120. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
13
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8522171/Tiny-microplastic-particles-absorbed-plant-
roots.html
14
"New Technique Allows Microplastic and Nanoplastics to be Detected in Human Tissue." Waste360 [Online],
21 Aug. 2020, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A633126970/GPS?
u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=e8aa52a3. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.

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To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen0042578