19/08/2019 - Environment | GS III

Siddharth 5 years

Please review sir. Thanks

IAS Parliament 5 years

Good attempt.Keep Writing.

IAS Parliament 5 years

KEY POINTS

· Microplastics, which are defined as shreds of plastic less than 5 mm in length.

· The researchers found huge amounts of them in the Arctic snow; their study claims to be the first that contains data on contamination of snow by microplastics. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.

· Microplastics are either manufactured for instance, microbeads that are used in cosmetics and beauty products or they are formed when larger pieces of plastic break down.

· The small, shiny particles advertised as “cooling crystals” in certain toothpastes qualify as microplastics if the ingredients of the toothpaste mention “polyethylene”.

· Even so, manufactured microbeads are not a major contributor to microplastic pollution. One of the main contributors to this pollution, instead, is plastic waste, 90% of which is not recycled.

· Plastic bottles, bags, fishing nets, and food packaging are some examples of the larger pieces that break down into microplastics, eventually finding their way into the soil, water and the air we breathe.

· Microplastics enter the environment due to bio-accumulation and enter the organisms through bio-accumulation.

· Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the best studied chemicals found in plastic. It is usually found in plastic packaging or food storage containers and can leak out into food.

Measures to reduce impact of pollution

· The United States passed a law in 2015 to prohibit the manufacture of rinse-off cosmetic products containing plastic microbeads.

· India needs to have comprehensive laws regulations in regulating the use of microplastics. Bans and doling out challans(fines) can only work if these are coupled with individual commitments to reducing plastic use.

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