Microplastics have become a concern. These particles, smaller than 5 millimeters, slough off plastic as it degrades. It is a menace that is practically omnipresent and ubiquitous.
According to an article published in the magazine of Harvard Medical School, Harvard Medicine, microplastics have been detected throughout the human body, including in the blood, saliva, liver, kidneys, and placenta.
Microplastics, smaller than 1 micrometer, called nanoplastics, are even more dangerous because they can infiltrate cells. Apart from the human body, microplastics have penetrated – with their severely contaminating presence – the environment, marine wildlife, and animals.
Microplastics could be found in human breast milk and an infant’s first stool, the meconium, indicating that the danger of microplastics is walking alongside us, like an ominous shadow, from day zero.
It could potentially cause oxidative damage, DNA damage, and changes in gene activity. It is also a known carcinogenic substance and, as Harvard Medicine reports, microplastics have been found responsible for reduced sperm count and quality, ovarian scarring, and metabolic disorders in offspring in studies done on mice.
Despite its adverse effects, we humans constantly inhale and ingest microplastics through contaminated seafood, including fish and shellfish. They are present in tap water, bottled water, and other commonly consumed beverages like beer.
A study cited by the United Nations estimated that the average adult consumed approximately 2,000 microplastics per year through salt. Another recent study showed that people consume an average of 39,000–52,000 microplastic particles annually.
If we add inhaled microplastic particles, the number would be around 74,000. For drinking tap water, another 4000 particles are added, while for drinking water bottled in plastic, the number increases by 9000 particles.
While these numbers are already staggeringly high, the author of the study, Kieran Cox, believes that these data underestimate the actual consumption of microplastics, and it is possible that, in reality, the values are much higher.
From time to time, different nations have imposed regulations or implemented bans on microbeads and microplastics. Yet, owing to the fact that our society has grown increasingly reliant on plastics for their versatility, stability, lightweight, and low production costs, the volume of microplastics in some oceanic compartments could double by 2030.
Scientists, researchers, and several organizations across the world are constantly on the lookout for solutions.
In a breakthrough invention, a team of chemical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has now come up with a new biodegradable material to replace certain microplastics. They’ve designed an eco-friendly alternative to the microbeads used in some health and beauty products.
Source: MIT News
Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Microbeads Used in Health and Beauty Products
The United States of America was the first country to implement a ban on the use of microbeads in personal care products. It started in the state of Arizona and then continued to many other major states, including California, New York, New Jersey, etc.
It was in 2014. Since then, many countries have followed the path shown by the USA. The list of countries includes many major consumer economies in the world, including Canada, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Italy, the UK, Sweden, Taiwan, Korea, etc.
Now, in an effort to reduce microplastics at their source, a band of MIT researchers have developed a class of biodegradable materials that could replace the plastic beads used in beauty products. These biodegradable polymer materials are capable of breaking down into harmless sugars and amino acids.
According to Ana Jaklenec, a principal investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research:
“One way to mitigate the microplastics problem is to figure out how to clean up existing pollution. But it’s equally important to look ahead and focus on creating materials that won’t generate microplastics in the first place.”
In the research paper that originally described the innovation in detail, the researchers explained that their motivation was to replace non-degradable plastics with degradable materials that had properties amendable for targeted applications.
To achieve their objective, they developed a degradable microparticle (MP) platform based on a poly(β-amino ester) (PAE) that degrades into sugar and amino acid derivatives.
What is even more enticing about the innovation is that it is diverse in its applications and can achieve a lot more. The researchers have shown the particles could be used to encapsulate nutrients such as vitamin A.
Foods fortified with encapsulated vitamin A and other nutrients could offer a super solution to a significant part of the 2 billion people globally who suffer from nutrient deficiencies. Apart from Vitamin A, the material could also encapsulate vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, and iron.
Despite these nutrients being susceptible to heat and light, the right casing – made with these polymers – can make them withstand boiling water exposure for as long as two hours. The particles were also tested for safety by exposing them to cultured human intestinal cells and measuring their effects on the cells. No damage was done to the cells.
Microbeads are something that is often present in cleansers. The researchers also looked into whether these particles could replace these microbeads.
They mixed the particles with soap foam and found it could serve the purpose of cleansers well by removing permanent markers and waterproof eyeliner from the skin much more effectively than soap alone.
While speaking about the versatility of the material, the paper’s lead author, Linzixuan (Rhoda) Zhang, an MIT graduate student in chemical engineering, said the following:
“We wanted to use this as a first step to demonstrate how it’s possible to develop a new class of materials, to expand from existing material categories, and then to apply it to different applications.”
While this research focused on how to replace microbeads, another research that came from the University of British Columbia made an even more interesting proposition.
Click here to learn how both prevalence and awareness of microplastics is growing.
How Bugs Could Help in the Removal of Microplastics
According to research published in the Biology Letters, UBC zoologist Dr Michelle Tseng and alumna Shim Gicole tested mealworms by feeding them ground-up face masks—a common plastic product—mixed with bran.
After a month, mealworms were found to eat about half the microplastics available, about 150 particles per insect, and gained weight. What came out as excreta was a small fraction of what the mealworms had eaten, about four to six particles per milligram of waste.
What was reassuring about the whole experiment was that eating microplastics did not affect the insect’s survival or growth. It would be relevant to mention here that Mealworms are known as nature’s scavengers and decomposers. They can survive up to eight months without food or water and are happy to eat their own kind when food is scarce.
Importantly, the purpose of the research does not limit itself to the removal of microplastics by feeding them to insects. Researchers say that, subsequently, they will learn from the insects’ digestive mechanisms how to break down microplastics and scale up these learnings to address plastic pollution.
According to Dr. Michelle Tseng:
“Perhaps we can start viewing bugs as friends. We’re killing millions of insects every day from general pesticides – the very same insects we could be learning from to break down these plastics and other chemicals.”
To date, most studies on plastic-eating insects were not ecologically realistic. However, in this case, mealworms consumed approximately 50% of the MPs, egested a small fraction, and consumption did not affect survival.
While researchers across the world are trying to combat the menace of plastic tooth and nail, there are large companies that have been useful in providing scaled-up solutions at a bigger scale. One such company that has done significantly well in the field of plastic removal is Veolia.
1. Veolia
In the field of plastics, Veolia realizes that one of the foremost challenges is the lack of plastic recycling facilities. As a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), alongside over 80 member businesses from the entire plastics value chain (producers, users, and recyclers), Veolia is committed to contributing $1.5 billion to help eliminate plastic waste from the environment, particularly the oceans.
Veolia has several solutions for plastic recycling. It can process several types of resins that can then be reused by Veolia’s industrial customers. These include polyethene (HDPE or LDPE), used in packaging or construction; polypropylene (PP), used in the automotive industry, construction, furniture and household appliances; and polyethene terephthalate (PET), found primarily in the packaging and textile sectors.
Veolia offers an alternative to virgin material by recovering and recycling plastic waste in several steps, including the functions of collection, sorting, shredding, washing, formulation, extrusion, and the creation of ready-to-use circular polymers.
Products that come out as a result of Veolia’s plastic recycling solutions are used by the Anglo-Dutch group Reckitt (RB.SW +0%) for its Finish Quantum Ultimate cleaning products. Veolia’s solutions help Reckitt in its pledge to make 100% of its plastic packaging recyclable and to contain at least 25% recycled content by 2025.
Veolia also collaborated with Koninklijke Van Wijhe Verf and Dijkstra Plastics to introduce a paint pot made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, using recycled resins already used by consumers. While Veolia processed the plastic into granules, Dijkstra Plastics then turned it into paint pots for Koninklijke Van Wijhe Verf and its Wijzonol paint brand.
Veolia supported the Plastic Odyssey adventure to turn plastic pollution in the oceans into resources. Plastic Odyssey was a 40-meter-long vessel that transformed plastic waste into energy on board. The expedition lasted from 2020 to 2023. At each of its 33 ports of call, existing and new recycling systems were developed with local stakeholders.
It supported this project and organized a conference at the Group’s headquarters that brought together the Plastic Odyssey team, Veolia experts, and the managers of Veolia’s water business in France, who had mobilized more than 170,000 of the Group’s customers to support this adventure, and representatives of the Veolia Foundation.
While speaking about the significance of the project and the support it could offer to the initiative, Laure Simon, Marketing Director, Consumer Division of Veolia’s water business in France, had the following to say:
“Apart from the vessel’s technological prowess, what fascinated us was the seriousness of the Plastic Odyssey project, whose values are in line with those of Veolia. We wanted to offer our consumers the opportunity to take part: for each subscription to electronic billing, Veolia Eau France donated €1 to the Plastic Odyssey project… More than 170,000 consumers signed up for the initiative. The family that won the draw to visit the Plastic Odyssey site in Marseille was really enthusiastic about the project.”
For the first three quarters of 2024, Veolia registered a revenue of 32,543 M Euros and an EBITDA of 4,936 M Euros.
The Future of Our Fight Against Microplastics
The fight against microplastics has taken place globally. In the EU, for instance, the 2019 TARA missions and the Ocean Race Europe in 2021 captured microplastic samples from the Baltic Sea, the English Channel, and the Mediterranean Sea. The United States National Centres for Environmental Information (NCEI) gathered publicly available microplastic pollution data from various research cruises and fieldwork.
There are four ongoing projects, PLASTICHEAL, Imptox, PLasticFatE, and POLYRISK, which will conclude themselves in 2025. These projects are all set to investigate the impact and consequences of micro- and nanoplastics on different aspects of human health.
Another project, Aurora, focuses on the early-life impacts of exposure to micro- and nanoplastics on human health. The European Commission has proposed that microplastics should be included in surface and groundwater watch lists under the Environmental Quality Standards Directives (EQSD).
Other than Europe, in March 2022, at the UN Environment Assembly, 175 nations agreed to end plastic pollution. A legally binding agreement – addressing the issues of single-use plastic and recycling technology, among others – was decided to be drawn up by the end of 2024. In 2023, the European Union banned the sale of loose plastic glitter.
Apart from organizational directives, various research organizations are working in their own way to combat the menace of microplastic pollution. Two of the most recent breakthroughs have already been discussed in the opening segments.
In 2021, for instance, the first experimental study was conducted on microplastic retention by marine canopies. The research found that marine canopies could act as potential barriers or sinks for microplastics. Retention increased with seagrass shoot density and specific density of polymers, while it decreased flow velocity.
Another research, published in 2021, looked into the possibilities of remediating microplastics in marine environments by membrane technology. Membrane technology refers to a gamut of technologies, including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration.
As per research published in 2019, ten recommendations were put out for stakeholders to reduce plastic pollution. These included:
(1) Regulation of production and consumption
(2) Eco-design
(3) Increasing the demand for recycled plastics
(4) Reducing the use of plastics
(5) Use of renewable energy for recycling
(6) Extended producer responsibility over waste
(7) Improvements in waste collection systems
(8) Prioritization of recycling
(9) Use of bio-based and biodegradable plastics
(10) Improvement in recyclability of e-waste
However, the challenge remains that these small microplastic particles are often small enough to pass through water filtration systems, and we can then unknowingly ingest them. They can be transported in the atmosphere and spread to even the remotest corners of the Earth. They have been found in honey, tea, and sugar, as well as in fruit and vegetables.
According to a Cardiff University Study, Microplastics are also making their way onto farmland through sewage sludge being used as fertilizer. What adds to the concern is that much of these microplastics will end up in waterways as a result of runoff from the top layer of soil.
In 2015, Congress amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) by passing the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015. The law prohibits the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads. It also applies to products that are both cosmetics and non-prescription (also called “over-the-counter” or “OTC”) drugs, such as toothpaste.
Altogether, the war against microplastics is now a 360-degree combat. Researchers, international organizations, companies, and national governments are fighting it out together. However, complete removal would need more awareness among users and stakeholders who manufacture these products containing microplastics.
Click here to learn how sustainability metric can help us curb plastic pollution.
