What exactly are microplastics and how are they formed?

 

They are materials that come from the fragmentation of plastics that are left in the environment. They deteriorate due to the effect of erosive agents, reducing in size until they acquire minute sizes, but maintaining their chemical nature, that means that they´re not soluble in water and that they persist for a long time in the environment, even entering the food chains. A more technical definition is: "They are a group of synthetic materials, produced from oil-based or bio-based polymers. They are solid particles, less than 5 mm in size, which are not soluble in water and whose degradability is low".

 

How do microplastics affect the marine ecosystem?

 

The main effect is that a material is introduced into the ecosystem that does not degrade and is bioaccumulative, thus affecting marine animal life. Its long-term effects are being carefully studied scientifically, as are other possible consequences, such as its contribution to worsening climate change.

 

What are the consequences of ingesting this material on marine animals and humans?

 

The main effect derives from bioaccumulation: The plastic components pass into the tissues of species that are then also consumed by humans. From there, the medical consequences can be diverse.

 

What is the current situation of this problem and what can we do to try to solve it? 

 

We are not aware of the magnitude of the problem, which is quite serious at a global level, not only because of the amount we use, but also because they are pollutants that do not remain in the source of emission, but are distributed throughout the planet and can reach remote areas, such as the Arctic or Antarctica.

 

The only remedy against pollution from plastics is to reduce abusive consumption now and see what is done with the large amount of waste that already exists. There are lines of research, to develop methods that can degrade plastics, for example with certain fungi or bacteria.