Microplastic Prevalence Growing Along With Awareness

Growing awareness about something harmful does not necessarily and always translate into decreasing prevalence. For instance, making people aware of the negative impact of smoking has been a consistent socio-cultural phenomenon for quite some decades now. Yet, in 2020, for the first time in two decades, the sales of cigarettes saw a spike in the United States. 

Not only have cigarette smoking habits increased, but the condition has become so grave that the US Surgeon General had to release a report for the first time in two decades about its negative health effects. The same is the situation with Microplastics. On the one hand, we could see growing awareness, but the prevalence, too, is on a surge.

Before delving deeper into both these dimensions of ‘Prevalence’ and ‘Awareness,’ let us have a quick revising understanding of what we refer to as ‘Microplastics.’

What are Microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter. It might be generated from a range of sources, including broken-down larger plastic waste, microbeads contained in personal care products, synthetic fibers present in clothes, etc. 

Over time, they have been categorized as severely harmful to our health, the wildlife around us, and our food chain. They do not degrade and perish easily and remain chemically active for a long time. The wildlife and animals around us stand the risk of digesting them and getting the toxic substances inside their vital organisms, causing serious physical harm. 

Microplastics are Everywhere

Recent research has looked into the long history of plastics and microplastics. It tried to place the presence of plastic as a marker in the course of our planetary history. The research proposed that owing to plastic’s contemporary nature, it could be studied as a global age marker. It could also act as a correlation tool between sedimentary profiles of the planet. 

The research that we discuss here specifically asked whether microplastics could be considered among the array of proxies to delimit the Anthropocene Epoch, which is assumed to have started in 1950. At a functional level, the research studied microplastic deposition history inferred from sediment profiles of lakes in northeastern Europe. 

Speaking of Europe, it would be relevant to mention that Europe exports about half of its plastic waste to various countries in the Global South. Research on the subject also showed that European consumers’ efforts to separate recycling have not yielded any significant results. 

In the present research, the sediments were dated with independent proxies. It goes back to the first half of the 18th Century from the present day. Irrespective of the sediment layer age, the research could find microplastic particles throughout the cores in all sites. 

The penetration of the particles was dependent on their aspect ratio. Shorter particles went deeper, and more elongated particles exhibited less mobility. 

At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that although microplastic particles were prevalent everywhere, the interpretation of their distribution in the studied sediment profiles was ambiguous and could not be held as a strict indicator for the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch. 

While this research looked at Microplastics through a planetary prism, another research warned us at a more practical level. It inferred that Microplastics and Nanoplastics have been emerging as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. 

Microplastics in Our Hearts!

The study examined patients who were undergoing carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid artery disease. It was prospective, multicenter, and observational in nature, and it involved 304 patients. 

Polyethylene could be detected in the carotid artery plaque of 150 patients, and 31 patients had measurable amounts of polyvinyl chloride. In terms of the qualifying nature of the microplastic particles, electron microscopy procedures revealed visible, jagged-edge foreign particles among plaque macrophages and scattered in the external debris. 

Radiographic examination of the patients also revealed that some of the particles included chlorine. Patients who had Microplastics and Nanoplastics in their atheroma stood at higher risk for a primary end-point event than those in whom such substances were not present. 

Overall, the study indicated that carotid artery plaque patients who had microplastics and nanoplastics in them had a higher risk of getting affected with a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause at 34 months of follow-up than those who did not have MNPs in them. 

Now, to summarize, what can we infer from these two prevalence studies mentioned above? We can infer that not only are microplastic particles omnipresent at a planetary level, but their interferences in our lives are grave, to say the least. Are we doing enough to address these concerns? Our responses might not have been adequate yet, but that does not mean that the field is empty. 

Practical Modes of Combating the Intake of Nanoplastics and Microplastics

One source that compels us to consume nano and microplastics is our tap water. This is especially true in cases where the tap water comes from centralized water treatment systems. Consuming this water is definitely a health hazard. However, one of the most efficient ways of combating these MNPs could be as simple as boiling water. 

In several Asian countries, there already exists the tradition of drinking boiled water. However, the tradition stems from the belief that boiling the water helps kill harmful germs and bacteria present in the water. New research has looked into the efficacy of the process of boiling water in making it free from microplastics and nanoplastics. 

The research presents us with evidence. It shows that polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene NMPs can co-precipitate with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) incrustants in tap water upon boiling.

What we call Hard Water contains more than 120 mg L–1 of CaCO3. Making this water free of NMPs can be achieved to a great extent by boiling the water. The research showed that boiling this hard water could remove at least 80% of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene NMPs size between 0.1 and 150 μm.

When we take water to an elevated temperature, the process promotes the nucleation of Calcium Carbonate. As a result, NMPs take the form of capsules, which are nothing but aggregated NMPs within calcium carbonate incrustants. 

Overall, the outcome reaches us in the form of decontaminated water, removed from harmful NMPs. 

It is evident that not all NMP removal processes are as simple as boiling the water. NMPs that come out as a result of large-scale industrial processes like textile manufacturing require structural solutions. Even the laundry process generates MNPs and requires more resourceful solutions. 

What is inspiring is that some companies have been working ardently to cure the civilization of this malaise of microplastics. In the following segments, we discuss a couple of them. 

#1. Wasser3.0

The declared vision of this university research project-turned-company is to develop and scale solutions for water without microplastics. It has come up with an innovative solution to clean up microplastic pollution before it reaches the ocean. 

To achieve its purpose, the company efficiently uses a whirlpool and a specially developed hybrid silica gel. The process is about creating a vortex in a tank of water. It then adds a compound to the vortex, which is called the Wasser 3.0 PE-X. 

This compound works as a clumping agent and draws together any microplastics into popcorn-shaded lumps. These lumps float out of the liquid and rise to the surface for being skimmed off using a sieve. 

The hybrid silica gel used in this process comprises silicone-based chemicals known as organosilanes. These are non-toxic and do not lead to contamination risks. They attach to the surface of the microplastic particles and create lumps, which are clusters the size of table tennis balls. 

Wasser makes sure that what is generated as a by-product of the process does not go to waste. The plastic-free water and agglomerated plastic lumps can be repurposed. It can find efficient use as an insulating filler during construction. 

Wasser 3.0’s solution is to be used in sewage treatment plants and industrial processes. A municipal wastewater treatment plant in Landau-Mörlheim, Germany, has deployed it, where the solution has removed close to 600 pounds of microplastics in 12 months. 

According to Dr Katrin Schuhen, the inventor and founder of Wasser 3.0, “the removal technology is straightforward.” Schuhen also stresses the solution’s other properties, including affordability, scalability, and simplicity. “Our mission is to keep the world’s water supply safe,” says Schuhen affirmatively. 

Wasser 3.0 runs on donations. Donations are fully tax-deductible. For any donations up to 200 euros per year to Wasser 3.0, one only has to present the account statement to the tax office (according to Section 50 (2) No. 2 letter b of the EStDV). And for donations exceeding 200 euros per year, the non-profit organization issues a donation receipt.

#2. Matter

Matter positions itself as an innovation company that has pioneered technology solutions to capture, harvest, and recycle microplastics. The company’s vision is to help people live in a world without micropollutants in their natural environment. 

The matter has multiple microplastics-removal solutions in its portfolio. One of its solutions, Gulp, helps swallow up the microplastics from the laundry before they go to the ocean. The solution can be connected directly to washing machines to effectively capture microfibres before they mix with ocean and river water. 

Another filtering product by Matter that goes by the brand name of “Matter. Inside” has a unique design that can capture cotton and other environmentally damaging microfibres. The solution is highly adaptable and can be placed in various locations, including the interior of a washing machine.

Matter has also recently developed its bouquet of solutions for industries. Under the materials division, the company has been conducting many research projects to find sustainable methods and applications for recycling microfibres from laundry. Several universities, including Brunel University in London and Swansea University, have been associated with Matter in this regard. 

In August 2023, Matter raised US$10 million. The funds were raised to help the company develop its sustainable laundry-focused solutions to keep microplastics out of water systems in commercial and industrial applications.

When speaking about his company’s vision, Adam Root, the founder and CEO of Matter, said:

“Matter’s vision is to live in a world without micropollutants. We are dedicated to building the necessary tools, techniques, and scalable solutions to drive this transformation. The combined support and expertise of our investors enables us to accelerate our work, moving beyond laundry into industrial-scale applications of our technology, and drive globally meaningful reductions in micropollutant emissions with confidence and speed.”

S2G Ventures and SOUNDWaves led Matter’s Series A funding round. SOUNDWaves was founded by Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary. Additional funding came from Leonardo Dicaprio-backed climate-tech venture fund Regeneration.VC and ocean impact venture fund manager Katapult Ocean.

The Microplastics Menace and the Need for a Future Without Them

The dangers that microplastics threaten us with are far bigger than we could imagine. They are omnipresent. Their presence could be traced from the Arctic to Mount Everest. According to estimates, there are close to 14 million metric tons of microplastics on the ocean floor. 

According to estimates published by Matter, one of the companies we have already highlighted, close to 700,000 microplastic fibers are released from washing machines each laundry cycle. Alarmingly, there are 171 trillion microplastic particles in our oceans. So, microplastics are present in the air we breathe and even exist in the human placenta, blood, and lungs. 

The only way to eliminate this menace is to have structural solutions in place at every source that ejects microplastics. Encouragingly, what gives hope is that we already have many such solutions in place. VC funds are interested in investing in these solutions, and companies are also deploying R&D funds in these areas. Now, what we need is more awareness. If consumers start using solutions that prevent microplastics from coming out of their devices, the goal will become a much easier one to accomplish. 

Click here to learn all about combating plastic menace with sustainability in mind.