Harmful microplastics are slipping through wastewater treatment plants, posing potential risks to health and the environment, researchers have said.
A team from the University of Texas at Arlington found that while most wastewater treatment facilities were able to “significantly reduce” microplastics loads, complete removal remains unattainable with current technologies.
Large amounts of plastic can be found circulating in all of Earth’s oceans. Rather than biodegrade, they simply break down into tinier and tinier pieces, producing microplastics, which measure less than 5mm long depending on the definition.
According to US environmental advocacy group Ocean Conservancy, 11 million metric tons of plastics enter our oceans every year. This is in addition to the estimated 200 million metric tons that are already there. Microplastics have been linked to several negative health effects, including potential risks to the cardiovascular system, respiratory health and even the gut microbiome.
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