The millions of tons of plastic swirling around the world’s oceans have garnered a lot of media attention recently. But plastic pollution arguably poses a bigger threat to the plants and animals – including humans – who are based on land.
Very little of the plastic we discard every day is recycled or incinerated in waste-to-energy facilities. Much of it ends up in landfills, where it may take up to 1,000 years to decompose, leaching potentially toxic substances into the soil and water.
Sewage
Sewage is an important factor in the distribution of microplastics. In fact, between 80 per cent and 90 per cent of the plastic particles contained in sewage, such as from garment fibres, persist in the sludge, says the study.
Sewage sludge is often applied to fields as fertilizer, meaning that several thousand tons of microplastics end up in our soils each year. Microplastics can even be found in tap water.
Moreover, the surfaces of tiny fragments of plastic may carry disease-causing organisms and act as a vector for diseases in the environment. Microplastics can also interact with soil fauna, affecting their health and soil functions.
“Earthworms, for example, make their burrows differently when microplastics are present in the soil, affecting the earthworm’s fitness and the soil condition.
Toxic Effects
The paper notes that terrestrial microplastic pollution has led to the decrease of species that live below the surface, such as mites, larvae and other tiny creatures that maintain the fertility of the land.
Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources, and also the ecosystem.
How do microplastics get into our water?
One of the main sources is our clothing. Minuscule fibres of acrylic, nylon, spandex, and polyester are shed each time we wash our clothes and are carried off to wastewater treatment plants or discharged to the open environment.
Here comes the Savior
We are not left unaware of the facts that how much in danger we are due to the plastic we use in our daily routine.
Our small habits are causing major effects on our planet and our environment too.
That’s where hemp bioplastics comes under play. We know that if there is a problem then there is a cure and here the cure to this problem is hemp bioplastics.
A safer and healthy option for our better future.
How to make contribution?
We at Hemptology is committed towards our better and greener environment. To make our planet safe place to live, we have taken a step closer with hemp bioplastics.
But we cannot do that alone. We need your support for this better cause.
Only by coming together and supporting this initiative can we stop the plastic plague – we can’t rely on governments or big organisations; they have all had their chance and failed us dramatically.
It’s now down to us, the people, to sort it out so please give generously – all donations are welcome large or small.
