Plastic is a polymeric substance, that can be easily molded and shaped usually with the help of pressure and heat. In 1862 Alexandar Parkes introduced the first man-made plastic and the manufacturing of plastics on large scale started somewhere around the 1970s. The characteristics of plastics being durable, versatile, and easy to manufacture, are prime reasons behind plastics being this famous and widely used.
This impeccable confidence in plastics didn’t last. The benefits of plastics have brought along the concern of waste. Currently, plastic is the biggest trouble, the world is facing. Everything around us is surrounded by plastics, plastic pollution has increased to the point that it’s creating issues for wildlife, aquatic life, and humans. Plastic is a major pollutant everywhere from the tops of mount Everest to the bottom of the sea.
Microplastics are plastics that are broken down from larger plastics or the commercial development of products, these are usually less than 5 millimeters.
These microplastics function as ‘bio sponges’ and tend to absorb the poisonous chemicals in the environment and cause the plastics to become potentially toxic.
Microplastics are already affecting the environment, now their presence is exhibited in the food chain also. Microplastics are reportedly found in various marine organisms. And due to trophic transfer, this plastic reaches higher trophic levels. Animals tend to consume plastics because most of the time they are not able to differentiate between plastic and food.
One such video of an elephant consuming plastic has gone viral. IFS officer Susanta Nanda has shared the video on Twitter. The video showcases how an elephant picks up a piece of plastic in its trunk and tries to eat it. The video is heart-breaking and depicts the brutal reality of our indiscriminate usage of plastics and impotence towards the management of plastic waste that has been generated. The video has triggered many concerned netizens and got reactions from them.
Susanta Nanda has captioned the video, writing “Plastics can be dangerous for even such a gigantic animal. It can block the alimentary canal. Urging everyone to be responsible in the safe disposal of single-use plastics,”. (Twitter) The video has already been viewed over 17K times. In the comments sections of the video, the netizens were demanding stern rules and penalties for whosoever litters in forest areas.
While this video makes up for viral content at the same time it also implies that an animal may experience dehydration, starvation, and suffocation leading to death. Even if the animal manages to consume the plastics, eventually, it can lead to blockages in the intestines and prove to be fatal.
Microplastic pollution has also been detected in the human body and human placentas. Scientists have found microplastics in almost 80% of the people that were tested. Reportedly, microplastics move around the body and stick up in the organs of the human body, inducing carcinogenesis.
Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent global issues worldwide. In conclusion, the prime step that would significantly reduce the load of microplastics in the food chain and the environment would be introducing legislation that regulates the usage of plastics and their release into the environment. The presence of plastic everywhere and its impacts are a matter of great concern.
