Plastic Pollution and Microplastics Quiz

Environmental Chemical Pollution

• Global production of man-made chemicals exceeds 500 million tons annually, significantly higher than 5 million tons 50 years ago.
• Over 100,000 synthetic chemicals are found in everyday products, including solvents, detergents, dyes, hormones, antibiotics, surfactants, pesticides, and mineral oil products.
• Global annual production of petroleum-based liquid fuel oil is roughly 3 billion tonnes, with some released into the environment through accidents and leaks.

Impact on Nature and Human Body

• The presentation outlines several areas of impact from chemical pollution, including: air pollution and climate change, liquid and solid pollutants impacting land and water, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and the disruption of natural elemental cycles.

Key Terms in Pollution

• Persistent pollutants resist environmental degradation (chemical, biological, or photolytic).
• Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxin faster than it's lost.
• Biomagnification is the increasing concentration of persistent pollutants as they move up the food chain.
• Global distillation describes the transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from warmer to colder regions.

Natural Elemental Cycles/Anthropogenic Contributions

• Biogeochemical cycles describe the path atoms take between living and non-living components.
• The carbon cycle, phosphorus cycle, nitrogen cycle, and sulfur cycle are examples.
• Human activities have significantly altered these cycles, particularly by increasing the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into reactive forms, causing significant environmental damage.
• Fertilizer use is highlighted as significantly altering the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, causing environmental problems that negatively impact the future of life.

Pollution Summary

• The largest concern is the effect of human-made substances on the environment.
• The disruption of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles from fertilizer use is significant.
• Plastic and toxic metal pollution are also major concerns due to their persistence and bioaccumulation potential.
• A significant portion of plastic waste ends up in the oceans, potentially harming marine life and contributing to microplastic pollution.
• There are many industrial and agricultural processes that alter biogeochemical cycles.
• The production and application of fertilizers are particularly concerning, as is the widespread use of many types of pesticides.

Polymers and Plastics

• Plastics, mainly man-made, are generally non-degradable or degrade very slowly.
• Their breakdown often requires multiple organisms and sometimes they do not break down to simple, easily excreted compounds.
• Global annual plastic consumption had risen from 5 million tonnes in 1950 to over 300 million tonnes today.
• A large fraction of plastic waste ends up in landfills or the environment.
• Recycling of plastic waste provides environmental benefits

Toxic Metal Pollution

• Heavy metals, including Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, and Se, are persistent pollutants that bioaccumulate and biomagnify in the environment.
• They often display EDC (endocrine-disrupting chemical) properties.
• Metals like Arsenic, Lead, and Cadmium are especially hazardous and cause substantial public health concerns according to the WHO.

Mercury (Hg)

• Mercury is released both naturally (from volcanoes) and anthropogenically (from coal burning, gold production, etc.).
• Methylmercury (MeHg) is a highly toxic, persistent form that bioaccumulates, and it can pass through the food chain to humans.
• The biomethylation of Hg into MeHg is a significant concern as it contributes to mercury poisoning issues.

Dioxins: PCDDs, PCDFs

• These are products of incomplete combustion of organic materials.
• They are persistent and highly toxic with strong endocrine-disrupting properties.
• Dioxins have been linked to various serious health problems.
• Dioxin exposure primarily occurs through contaminated food.

Phthalates

• Phthalates are ubiquitous additives in various consumer products (e.g., toys, cosmetics, cleaning agents, construction materials).
• They soften plastics and are absorbed by the body, leading to potential health concerns and increased risk for cancers.

Medical Chemicals

• Many medical chemicals, including hormones (e.g., 17ß-estradiol) and their derivatives, can have adverse effects on organisms in aquatic ecosystems.

Parabens

• Parabens are a group of preservatives often found in personal care products.
• They are partially broken down by wastewater treatment plants.
• Continued use may potentially lead to adverse ecological effects.

PCBs, BFRs

• PCBs and BFRs are persistent and toxic pollutants.
• Their widespread use in various products (e.g., lubricants, plasticizers and flame retardants, respectively) led to concern related to their environmental impact and endocrine-disrupting effects.

Important Expert Remar

• A noted expert, Professor Ake Bergman, emphasized that widespread use of persistent chemicals will lead to difficulties and severe damage unless better societal action prevents the release of these substances.

Metal exposure and Environmental effects

• Metal exposure can manifest as detrimental ecological and biological symptoms, that will affect organisms and humans indiscriminately through the food chain.