Plastic Pollution Flashcards
the largest market of plastic is for ___
packaging
what are plastics made of?
polymers= long-chain molecules made of repeating links (monomers)
- strong, light, and very durable, which makes them very persistent in the enviro
the country producing the most plastic is:
China
T/F
most of what we put in recycling does actually get recycled
false :(
5-20% of what we put in actually gets recycled (depending on the type)
the rest goes to landfill etc
what’s the relationship between carbon emissions and plastic production?
they’re both increasing exponentially
- plastic is increasing faster than carbon now
What is the plastic cycle?
= the continuous and complex movement of plastic materials between diff abiotic and biotic ecosystem compartments, including humans
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
cycle starts when we dispose of plastic- it enters the enviro
nitrogen, water
water
Most mismanaged plastic comes from ____ and ends up in the ___
China
ocean
What are some of the harmful effects plastic can have on wildlife?
- starvation due to gastrointestinal obstruction (plastic )
- entanglement in plastic
- ingestion of plastic fragments
- accumulation of microplastics in circulatory system
How much plastic do we probably eat in a week?
about 1 credit card worth
Health outcomes due to plastic is mostly ____ for humans, but in wildlife, we’ve seen ____ and ____, which could also happen to us
unknown
infertility and cancer
T/F
microplastics can enter at different levels of organization
if true, what are the levels
true
1. subcellular (uptake across membrane)
= oxidative damage, altered gene expression
- cellular
- individual (ingestion)
- Population
- decreased reproductive output etc
Nanoplastics vs Microplastics
nanoplastic/particle= a particle less than 1 micrometer in diameter across its widest dimension
microplastic/particle= a particle between 1-5000 micrometers in size
how can suspended nanoplastics help to move other toxins around?
nanoplastics have a high SA:Volume ratio, so attract other things
- Aggregation= absorb problematic chemicals etc
- these aggregates can conglomerate together= sedimentation
What are primary and secondary sources of nanoplastics?
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
What are the 2 ways that microplastics can degrade into nanoplastics?
- biodegradation by extracellular enzymes
- non-biodegradation
- physical degradation
- thermal degradation etc
plastics have ____ properties, and can therefore carry ____
absorptive
toxins
What are the 3 key routes of plastic entry into the human body?
- ingestion of plastic particles (food and drink)
- Inhalation of airborne plastic particles
- indoor: synthetic textiles
- outdoor: contaminated aerosols from atmospheric fallout etc - Skin Contact of plastic particles
- water/ beauty products
- nanoplastics can enter via wounds/ openings (usually can’t enter skin)
microbeads (microplastics) are usually made of ____, and the main problem is they don’t ____
polyethylene
degrade
Why are microbeads a useful tool for us sometimes?
- 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
microbeads are found in lots of ____ ____ ____ (now banned in Canada)
personal care applications
- deodorants
- scrubs
T/F
microbeads are usually removed by wastewater treatments
false
too small and lightweight usually :(
microbeads are easily ____ by filter feeders, but can’t be ____.
What happens to them then?
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)
plastic fibers have a similar issue to that of ____:
What’s the biggest source of plastic fibers?
microbeads
- don’t degrade
- consumed by filter feeders, move up food web
clothing!
___ ___ can degrade plastics, which can then ___ and potentially precipitate out
UV light
aggregate
What’s one way that plastic particles can become more bioavailable in sediments?
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)
___ ___ is a better option to buy instead of clothing containing plastic
merino wool
we need an ___ agreement on marine plastic pollution, and also cooperation between all ___
international
sectors
T/F
plastic use skyrocketed because of the COVID-19 pandemic
true
- medical uses
- takeaway containers etc
