Plastic Pollution

Question 1

the largest market of plastic is for ___

Answer 1

packaging

Question 2

what are plastics made of?

Answer 2

polymers= long-chain molecules made of repeating links (monomers)
- strong, light, and very durable, which makes them very persistent in the enviro

Question 3

the country producing the most plastic is:

Answer 3

China

Question 4

T/F
most of what we put in recycling does actually get recycled

Answer 4

false :(

5-20% of what we put in actually gets recycled (depending on the type)
the rest goes to landfill etc

Question 5

what’s the relationship between carbon emissions and plastic production?

Answer 5

they’re both increasing exponentially
- plastic is increasing faster than carbon now

Question 6

What is the plastic cycle?

Answer 6

= the continuous and complex movement of plastic materials between diff abiotic and biotic ecosystem compartments, including humans

Question 7

When does the plastic cycle start?

We can now track plastic in the same way that we can track ___ and ____, etc

____ is the main way that plastic is moved around

Answer 7

cycle starts when we dispose of plastic- it enters the enviro

nitrogen, water

water

Question 8

Most mismanaged plastic comes from ____ and ends up in the ___

Answer 8

China

ocean

Question 9

What are some of the harmful effects plastic can have on wildlife?

Answer 9

• starvation due to gastrointestinal obstruction (plastic )
• entanglement in plastic
• ingestion of plastic fragments
• accumulation of microplastics in circulatory system

Question 10

How much plastic do we probably eat in a week?

Answer 10

about 1 credit card worth

Question 11

Health outcomes due to plastic is mostly ____ for humans, but in wildlife, we’ve seen ____ and ____, which could also happen to us

Answer 11

unknown

infertility and cancer

Question 12

T/F
microplastics can enter at different levels of organization
if true, what are the levels

Answer 12

true
1. subcellular (uptake across membrane)
= oxidative damage, altered gene expression

2. cellular
3. individual (ingestion)
4. Population
   - decreased reproductive output etc

Question 13

Nanoplastics vs Microplastics

Answer 13

nanoplastic/particle= a particle less than 1 micrometer in diameter across its widest dimension

microplastic/particle= a particle between 1-5000 micrometers in size

Question 14

how can suspended nanoplastics help to move other toxins around?

Answer 14

nanoplastics have a high SA:Volume ratio, so attract other things
- Aggregation= absorb problematic chemicals etc
- these aggregates can conglomerate together= sedimentation

Question 15

What are primary and secondary sources of nanoplastics?

Answer 15

primary= industrial application of nanoplastics

secondary= breakdown of macroplastics in the environment (from a plastic bag etc)
* all plastics will eventually break down into nanoplastics

Question 16

What are the 2 ways that microplastics can degrade into nanoplastics?

Answer 16

1. biodegradation by extracellular enzymes
2. non-biodegradation
   - physical degradation
   - thermal degradation etc

Question 17

plastics have ____ properties, and can therefore carry ____

Answer 17

absorptive

toxins

Question 18

What are the 3 key routes of plastic entry into the human body?

Answer 18

1. ingestion of plastic particles (food and drink)
2. Inhalation of airborne plastic particles
   - indoor: synthetic textiles
   - outdoor: contaminated aerosols from atmospheric fallout etc
3. Skin Contact of plastic particles
   - water/ beauty products
   - nanoplastics can enter via wounds/ openings (usually can’t enter skin)

Question 19

microbeads (microplastics) are usually made of ____, and the main problem is they don’t ____

Answer 19

polyethylene
degrade

Question 20

Why are microbeads a useful tool for us sometimes?

Answer 20

• can be magnetic and conductive when other materials are added, which is very useful and low-cost
• have many uses in research, medicine, and biotech

Question 21

microbeads are found in lots of ____ ____ ____ (now banned in Canada)

Answer 21

personal care applications
- deodorants
- scrubs

Question 22

T/F
microbeads are usually removed by wastewater treatments

Answer 22

false
too small and lightweight usually :(

Question 23

microbeads are easily ____ by filter feeders, but can’t be ____.
What happens to them then?

Answer 23

ingested but not digested

they can then:
- pass undigested
- be ingested up the food chain
- if large enough, can accumulate in the gut (can block= starvation)

Question 24

plastic fibers have a similar issue to that of ____:

What’s the biggest source of plastic fibers?

Answer 24

microbeads
- don’t degrade
- consumed by filter feeders, move up food web

clothing!

Question 25

___ ___ can degrade plastics, which can then ___ and potentially precipitate out

Answer 25

UV light
aggregate

Question 26

What’s one way that plastic particles can become more bioavailable in sediments?

Answer 26

filter feeding organisms draw down plastics from the water column and capture it
= become more bioavailable in sediment
= sedimentation of plastics in oceans (prob on land too)

Question 27

___ ___ is a better option to buy instead of clothing containing plastic

Answer 27

merino wool

Question 28

we need an ___ agreement on marine plastic pollution, and also cooperation between all ___

Answer 28

international

sectors

Question 29

T/F

plastic use skyrocketed because of the COVID-19 pandemic

Answer 29

true
- medical uses
- takeaway containers etc