The pollution of the ocean is much worse than we thought
„Microplastic“ is a term some people are familiar with – at the latest since studies confirmed that parts of it can be found in our organs. Many of us are also aware that our oceans are suffering greatly from microplastic pollution. However, the researchers, Katsiaryna Pabortsava and Richard Lampitt, found out something much more alarming in the course of their research of the whole Atlantic.
If the upper layers of water of the Atlantic are examined, 12 to 21 million tons of microplastic will be found. If there is so much microplastic already on the surface, how much will there be if one takes the entire Atlantic, with an average depth of 3,000 meters, into consideration? On the basis of these new findings, Richard Lampitt has established the frightening presumption that it could be around 200 million tons of microplastic. The miscreants for this scope of pollution are the three most common types of plastic: polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. These plastic types occur in many items of daily use. Polypropylene for example can be found in 33 of the most common baby wet wipes. The great challenge is that microplastic represents a hidden danger. The particles are so small that they cannot be perceived by the human eye. This means that, on the surface, everything looks perfectly alright and the deep blue oceans look completely healthy.
To master this problem, consumers will have to step up. The most effective thing when dealing with microplastic and plastic in general, is to avoid it as best you can. This is also true of fossil-based plastic in wet wipes – there are already alternatives available in the market, which contain sustainable and natural fibers on a wood basis, for example. Moreover, it is important that the products can either be recycled or are biodegradable. For our world oceans, it is therefore important to pay attention to these properties when purchasing products. Wet wipes with Veocel™ fibers are always a good choice: they are completely biodegradable and due to this they do not pollute the environment. With moist toilet paper consumers should in addition pay attention to the „flushable“-property. The fabric will only dissolve quickly in water when the fibers are very short.
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