MICROPLASTICS AND ITS IMPACT

Abstract

---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------Abstract - Every period of human civilization has been named by archaeologists based on the substance that inhabitants of that period used in abundance, often helping in raising the living standards of their respective eras, so it is comprehensible that the current era is known as the era of the “Plastic” Age, ever since the advent of synthetic polymers in the 1950’s. Ever since then, plastics have become extremely integral in a wide spectrum of fields because of their utilitarian properties. Today, majority of the human race has included these plastics in their day to day activities leading to immense environmental scrutiny. The used plastics are easily disposed in water bodies such as oceans and rivers. Unlike decomposable materials, plastics are complex polymers meaning that they do not decompose often taking take aeons. This disposed plastic breaks down into numerous small pieces in different size ranges and is ingested by the various marine organisms and affects the entire food chain. This presents a gargantuan problem to our ecosystem. Scientists have experimented with various solutions to help solve the Microplastics problem but these solutions have proven to not be as effective as intended. A substance once invented to be a boon to mankind has very well turned into its bane. Overall, this paper encapsulates the intricate topic of Microplastics, including brief information about them and their composition, and their role in environmental degradation while also addressing the most efficient solutions to dispose Microplastics without having any detrimental effect on the environment and our ecosystem.