Micro-plastic fibres found in groundwater

Micro-plastic fibres found in groundwater

News

A new study published in the journal Groundwater has reported micro plastics in fractured limestone aquifers – a groundwater source that accounts for 25% of the global drinking water supply.

Important facts

1. The study identified microplastic fibers, along with a variety of medicines and household contaminants, in two aquifer systems in Illinois.
2. It is estimated that 6.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic waste have been produced since the 1940s, and 79% of that is now in landfills or the natural environment

Additional Information

What are microplastics?

1. Microplastics are plastic particles of less than 5 mm in diameter.
2. They enter the environment either as primary industrial products, such as those used in scrubbers and cosmetics, or via urban waste water and broken-down elements of articles discarded by consumers.

Impact of Microplastic pollution:

1. The ingestion of microplastics is dangerous for humans as these substances contain high concentrations of toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls
2. Microplastics are a major threat to oceans and the marine life. According to a 2017 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report, microplastics are estimated to constitute up to 30% of marine litter polluting the oceans