Microplastics can be found nearly everywhere. They exist in our food, our water, and even in our bodies. These small materials that are very small in size from micrometers to even 5 millimeters are added to cosmetics and fertilizers. They are found in polyester cloths and are released when we wash them. They are also released from the rubber of car tires when they are on the road. When plastics and bottles break down into small pieces they are also produced. It is estimated that of the 60 million tons of plastics that are produced in the European Union every year, about three quarters is thrown away. Microplastics are contained in just a fraction of this waste. Of about half of the microplastics that are intentionally added to the environment agricultural applications account for a majority of them. And a research firm has estimated that the wear from tears produce microplastics that end up in the water that we drink. They are known to even exist in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and even in our feces. Fishes also contain high amount of microplastics especially those in waters that are polluted with plastic.

Key Takeaways:

• Microplastics today seem to be everywhere and when one looks around he can find them in everything like in his food, his water, and even his body.
• When one analyzes the cosmetics that he uses, he will find that these microplastics that can be from millimeters to micrometers in size are infused in them.
• About 60 million tons of plastics are produced in the European Union every year and it is estimated that roughly all of them are thrown away.

“And they are produced when plastic products like bottles or packaging break down into smaller and smaller pieces.”

Read more: https://www.politico.eu/article/graphics-where-microplastics-come-from/