From the Arctic ice to our dinner plates, microplastics are everywhere.
And that’s not an exaggeration. These tiny plastic fragments, some smaller than a grain of sand, have shown up in the deepest ocean trenches, floating in our air and even in human arteries. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. As we mark World Environment Day under the UNEP-led #BeatPlasticPollution campaign, it’s a good moment to pause and reflect on one of the quietest yet most persistent threats to our planet: microplastics.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are exactly what they sound like: small bits of plastic. But that simplicity is a bit misleading.
Technically, they’re defined as any plastic particles between 1 nanometre and 5 millimetres wide. That’s a wide range. A nanometer is so small it’s hard to grasp; thousands could fit across the width of a single human hair. On the other end, five millimetres is roughly the size of a sesame seed or the width of a wedding ring.
There are two types:
- Primary microplastics are made small on purpose, think microbeads in face washes (which, thankfully, are banned in many places now).
- Secondary microplastics are formed when larger plastic items, like water bottles or synthetic clothing, break down over time into smaller pieces. And this happens far more often than we’d like to admit.
Where Do They Come From?
Honestly? Everywhere.
Plastic pollution doesn’t start with a single bottle floating in a river. It starts long before that with manufacturing, consumption, wear and tear and eventually disposal (or mismanagement).
Here are a few common sources:
- Cosmetic microbeads (although banned in some countries, they’re still out there)
- Synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon, just washing your fleece jacket can release thousands of fibres
- Tires as they wear down on the roads
- Paint chips from buildings, ships or road markings
- Artificial turf and playground materials
- Everyday plastic packaging that degrades in sunlight, wind and water over time
It’s a grim list. And it keeps growing.
How Abundant Are They?
In short, microplastics are everywhere. Literally.
By one estimate, over 2.7 million tonnes of microplastics entered the environment in 2020. That number is expected to double by 2040 if nothing changes.
We’ve found them on remote mountaintops, in the deep sea, in rainwater and unsettlingly, inside our bodies. Even newborn babies have been found to have microplastics in their first stool.
It’s a modern-day ghost unseen but ever-present.
How Do Microplastics Enter the Environment?
There’s no single doorway more like a million cracks.
- Degradation of larger plastic items over time (sunlight, waves, heat all break plastics down into smaller pieces)
- Laundry runoff from synthetic clothes, an average load can shed thousands of fibres
- Cosmetic products flushed down the drain
- Dust and air particles, we literally breathe in microplastics without knowing it
- Road runoff from tires and paints
And once they’re out there? They move. Through waterways, soil, animals and air, invisible hitchhikers with no clear path and no final destination.
Microplastics in Our Bodies
Here’s where things get a bit more personal.
Microplastics can enter our systems through what we eat, drink and breathe. A 2019 study estimated that some people might be consuming between 39,000 to 52,000 particles annually just by living a normal life.
More recent studies have detected microplastics in lungs, blood and even placentas.
Now, to be fair, scientists are still figuring out what this means for our health. We don’t know everything. But some early evidence points to possible inflammatory responses, disruptions in endocrine systems and even impacts on cardiovascular health. Tiny plastics have been found lodged in the walls of arteries, and that’s not something we want.
Do we fully understand the risk? Not yet. But waiting until we do feels… reckless.
Microplastics & the Environment
It’s not just our health at stake. The environment is paying a price too.
Let’s look at just a few examples:
- Phytoplankton, the microscopic algae at the base of ocean food chains, have shown stunted growth when exposed to microplastics.
- Soil fertility can drop when plastic particles accumulate, affecting how well crops grow.
- Animals from zooplankton to whales have been found with microplastics in their stomachs, sometimes fatally.
It’s not dramatic to say that these tiny particles are reshaping ecosystems. Just quietly and over time.
What Can We Do About It?
Honestly? A lot. But it won’t happen overnight and it’s not just about individuals.
Still, here are some ways you (and I) can help:
- Avoid products that contain microbeads (read labels!)
- Wash synthetic clothes less often and when you do, try using a microfibre-catching bag or filter
- Support bans on single-use plastics and microplastic additives
- Buy fewer synthetic textiles, when possible, natural fibres like cotton or hemp shed less harmful material
- Push for better recycling systems in your community
- And maybe the most underrated: talk about it. Share information. Spark a conversation.
Is this enough? Not quite. But it’s a start.
Global Actions and Hope
The good news? The world is waking up.
This year’s World Environment Day spotlights the problem of plastic pollution and by extension, microplastics. And that’s not just symbolic. It’s part of a growing global effort.
Countries are currently negotiating a legally binding international treaty to end plastic pollution. The next round of talks will be in Geneva this August. That might sound bureaucratic, but it’s historic. A real chance to curb the crisis at a systemic level.
UNEP, NGOs, governments and citizen groups are all pushing for change. And people are part of that momentum.
I guess what gives me hope is that this isn’t an abstract issue. We know the problem. We can see it. We’re learning how to solve it.
Final Thought
This World Environment Day, let’s not just be passive observers.
Let’s choose to care.
Plastic pollution didn’t get this bad overnight and it won’t be fixed tomorrow. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. Every small shift, from how we shop, how we speak, and how we vote, can ripple outward.
So if you’ve made it this far, maybe you’re already part of the solution.
Let’s use our voices, our choices and our actions to demand a future free from plastic pollution.
This #WorldEnvironmentDay, let’s #BeatPlasticPollution together.
