3 Toru What and where are microplastics? He aha ngā kirihou moroiti ā kei whea rā? Microplastics are getting into the environment and into the food chain He kirihou moroiti He aha te mate? He pēwhea i te moana? What are What’s the problem? How much microplastic microplastics? is in the ocean? Microplastics are accumulating Microplastics are very small in our environment, entering the In 2014, scientists estimated plastic particles generally less food chain and can be extremely that there were between 15–51 than 5 mm in size. difficult to remove. trillion microplastic particles in the ocean, excluding those that • Primary microplastics are He kirihou moroiti ka kaha kitea? have sunk to the seabed or have small manufactured plastics, been deposited on shorelines for example, microbeads Which microplastics worldwide. Microplastics are used in cosmetics and are most common? now found in kaimoana. cleaning products. The greatest type of • Secondary microplastics microplastics found globally are fragmented from larger in sediments, soils and marine Scientists have found on pieces of plastic during use and freshwater samples are average 325 microplastic (such as microfibers from secondary microplastics, particles per litre of washing clothes or tyre dust especially tyre pieces and bottled water! Most of from driving) or breaking synthetic clothing fibres. these are between 6.5 down over time (such as and 100 µm in size. discarded bottles and bags). Look at the diagram that shows microplastics traveling through our wastewater system and into the environment. What other pathways could occur and how do we stop them? TĀMOKOHIA TE ORA O TE TAIAO KI TE WHATUMANAWA It is all our duty to protect the environment Microplastics in the wastewater treatment system Microbeads from Fragmented plastic Microbeads and industrial cleaning and road abrasions fibres used in Garments made of products, industrial get blown and washed personal care synthetic materials, such abrasives and accidental into the waste and products, cleaning as polyester and nylon loss of nurdles stormwater system products and textiles fleece, can release 1900 fibres per wash! Plastics collected from water leaving a NZ wastewater treatment plant INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER RESIDENTIAL Microplastics washed down Treatment 0.5mm drains enter Plant our waste water treatment plants Sewage sludge Discharge Microplastics that are removed during Some microplastics 0.5mm wastewater treatment are so tiny and light that can end up in sewage they do not get removed sludge that is used as but leave the plant and fertiliser in agriculture enter out waterways and oceans Plastics collected from water entering a NZ wastewater treatment plant Seep into soil, waterways, Microplastics enter our waterbodies Entering the food chain and aquifiers Microplastics and Accumulate in wetlands any toxic chemicals and streams associated with them can end up in our food and drink. Microplastics are injested by aquatic organisms royalsociety.org.nz/plastics.