ISSN 2348-313X (Print) International Journal of Life Sciences Research ISSN 2348-3148 (online) Vol. 10, Issue 4, pp: (1-7), Month: October - December 2022, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
The Effects of Microplastics and the Urgency of Further Scientific Research Ashley Jin Cypress, CA 90630 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7198724
Published Date: 13-October-2022
Abstract: Without even consciously knowing, humans leave microplastic footprints into the world. From burning tires to plastic pellets from personal care products, there are various ways in which microplastics are formed. The world produces 300 million tons of plastics annually, and about 5 million tons of microplastics are released annually. Despite the alarming rate of microplastics, we lack the research and studies for microplastics. It was only recently that microplastics became an issue, and still, many are unaware of the term microplastics. In a 2019 survey in America, only 52 percent of adults knew about microplastics. The purpose of this paper is to bring more attention to microplastics and the potential harm it brings to us. In this paper, we go over the History of Plastics and Microplastics, Types of Microplastics, Benefits and Modern Use of Plastics, Microplastic Assessment Methods, Proven Environmental Issues, Lack and Need of Research on Biological Effects, The Future Trajectory of Microplastics (Data Analysis). Keywords: microplastics, plastics, sustainability, ecology, global warming, synthetics.
I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to bring more attention to microplastics and the potential harm it brings to us. In this paper, we go over the History of Plastics and Microplastics, Types of Microplastics, Benefits and Modern Use of Plastics, Microplastic Assessment Methods, Proven Environmental Issues, Lack and Need of Research on Biological Effects, The Future Trajectory of Microplastics (Data Analysis).
II. HISTORY OF PLASTICS The very first synthetic plastic was made by John Wesley Hyatt in 1869. He used cotton fibers with camphor, found in wood, to produce plastic. 1907 was the year that fully synthetic plastics were first created by Leo Baekeland. He created Bakelite, a thermosetting plastic. Plastic was advertised to the world as a never-ending possibility, and ever since then, plastics have been used for everyday essentials such as bottles, clothing, packaging, microbeads, cosmetics, and much more. Plastic was the first material besides natural resources like wood or steel that was used for manufacturing materials. Many types of plastics were produced after Bakelite, as many chemical companies were interested in the success of Bakelite. Many of the chemical companies made laboratories and facilities for plastics. This helped the growth of plastics. “The mass markets now coming into view for plastics justified the massive investments by big chemical companies in this branch of technology”1. In 1912, Polychloride vinyl, or PVC was made. PVC is very versatile, and many household appliances are made by PVC, such as pipes and shoes. Soon after, cellophane was made. It was made by Edwin Brandenberger, who wanted plastic packaging for food. In 1933, Polyethylene was discovered by E.W. Fawcett and R.O. Gibson. Originally, Polyethylene was England’s secret plastic production. They were used for Britain’s airplanes and gave them a bigger advantage over the Germans' planes. However, the production of polyethylene was not cheap. “The material’s good insulating properties were soon recognized. However, it took many years – and huge investments – before the company was able to develop safe, high-pressure equipment”1. Today, it is the most used plastic. Polyethylene became one of the most important plastics because plastic wraps for food were used to a great extent. After people began using plastic wrappings, there were less bacteria in foods, less physical damage, more preservability, and retaining the quality. This was revolutionary for people because it changed markets from being a service-based industry to a self-serve industry. This
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