A Tiny Big Threat: Microplastics

We often talk about various environmental pollutants and polluters, from large-scale to small-scale, old to new, AC to AI. In spite of that, one of the oldest and most researched pollutants, Plastic, is still untreated and underestimated today. A 2017 study published on ScienceAdvances shows that, “As of 2015, approximately 6300 Mt of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of which had been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. If current production and waste management trends continue, roughly 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or in the natural environment by 2050”.

To go deeper into the hazards of plastic and its sub-types, I want to begin with basic definitions. Plastics are synthetic polymer compounds that contain many chemicals to increase efficiency and performance. Plastics with a size less than 5 mm are categorized as Microplastics. There are two types of microplastics: primary and secondary microplastics. Primary microplastics are intentionally designed for use in industrial, commercial, and personal care products , and can enter the environment through spills or other releases, mostly through industrial processes. Secondary microplastics are generated through the physical, chemical, and biological breakdown of larger plastic products. Another plastic sub-type is Nanplastics. They are less than 100 nm in size and are formed by the fragmentation and weathering of plastic trash. Nanoplastics are so painfully tiny that they can easily pass through any normal water purification process. In a general sense, the term “microplastic” also includes nanoplastics.

Plastic and its sub-types are being widely used in various fields, such as semiconductors, clothes, drug carriers, and cosmetic materials. The general question that arises to this is, why should we care? The answer lies in the fact that plastics and microplastics not only affect the environment and the water bodies but also human health adversely.

Bioaccumulation and Human Health Impacts

Microplastics can easily be ingested due to their tiny sizes. They also move easily through the food chain and persist in the environment since they do not biodegrade. Because of these factors, they have the potential to be extremely hazardous to humans and the environment. Microplastics can enter the human body when they are not filtered out during sewage-treatment processes, and nanoplastics can reach almost all organs after entering the human body. “Yong et al. gave the critical account that MPs can increase oxidative stress, cytokine production, cell injury, immune response, DNA damage, neurotoxicity, and metabolic implications. They further elaborated that the higher concentrations in the cell can increase severity. Science Advice for Policy by European Academies also reported that MPs can cause inflammation and impair energy allocation functions,” stated a report published on ScienceDirect in 2024. UNEP confirms that one 2019 study found some adults could potentially be consuming between 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year on average, depending on their location and what they do. Microplastics have been found throughout the human body, including in the walls of arteries. In 2020, a study found microplastics in placenta.

Ecological Contamination and Polar Release

Moreover, microplastics affect the environment terribly. Every single plastic bottle thrown away carelessly, every polyester piece of clothing discarded that ended up in landfill, every plastic packaging dumped away—they all contribute to adding microplastics into the environment and back to us. Also, since micro and nanoplastics have the ability to infect terrestrial plants, they present a threat to humans and animals via the food chain. UNEP states, “Microplastics find their way into the environment; once they’re there, they get around. Research has shown that particles can move through the food web, as well as through soil, water, ice—even the air”.

Studies found that microplastics can slow the growth of a microscopic marine algae known as phytoplankton, the base of several aquatic food webs, and can also make soil less fertile, hampering harvests. It is also found that microplastics may speed the melting of snow and ice in places like the Arctic, limiting the planet’s ability to reflect sunlight and speeding global warming. A 2021 study estimated that there were 24.4 trillion pieces of microplastics in the world’s upper oceans, with a combined weight of 82,000 to 578,000 tons, equivalent to roughly 30 billion half-a-liter plastic water bottles. Microplastics also pose a fatal risk of entanglement to aquatic species. Furthermore, a 2025 report states that, “In the Arctic region, an estimated 2.04 trillion cubic metres of ice will melt in the coming time span due to climate change, releasing at least one trillion pieces of stored plastic. As for Antarctica, microplastics had been found in freshly fallen snow for the first time in 2022, with 29 microplastic particles in each litre of melted snow, higher than the concentrations reported previously in Antarctic sea ice, which was an average of about 12 pieces of plastic per litre of water.”

Mitigation Strategies and Personal Interventions

Now, the most important question is, how do we mitigate the effect of microplastics and also reduce its production?

As individuals, we have a limited number of ways to reduce microplastics around us. However, these ways can be incredibly effective if we all realise the hazards of microplastics and work towards reducing them. Some of these ways are listed in the following lines.

Firstly, reducing the use of single-use plastics, such as straws, plastic bags, and water bottles can immensely reduce the number of microplastics released into the environment. Secondly, avoid using synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, as they are made from plastic and shed off microplastics when washed. They also do not degenerate in landfills, causing harm to the environment and the soil. Thirdly, one of the most known ways is to recycle. Instead of instantly dumping plastic materials that you no longer need, look for a recycling centres or find a way to reuse it at home. Lastly, help educate others about the harmful effects of plastic and plastic pollution so that their demand for plastic products decreases too.

Additionally, eating fibres reduces microplastic absorption in our bodies, as fibres bind to particles in the gut and sweep them out before they enter into the bloodstreams. Studies show that people who eat 30 grams or more of fibres per day have significantly low microplastic absorption.

Corporate Accountability and Bio-Material Alternatives

It’s about time that corporations choose the planet over profit. Real change can only come if industries, which are one of the main sources of plastic, reduce plastic production and choose eco-friendly ways themselves. Moreover, we already have so many alternatives to plastic for almost all purposes. A few years ago, a material for packaging called Vivomer had been created by Shellworks. It’s made by fermenting plant waste with microbes, decoupling it from the fossil fuel industry, and it doesn’t require toxic additives to make it rigid or flexible, making it non-toxic, durable, and biodegradable as well. We also have bioplastics such as PLA, although they need industrial composting to biodegrade. Paper-based packaging can be used if one is looking for short-term or non-durable packaging.

Conclusion

I would like to conclude by stating that we already have solutions; we only need to choose between the environment or money. We, as individuals, need to refrain from using plastic products, even if they’re cheaper, so that their demand decreases, and the demand of eco-friendly products increases. We only need a collective commitment towards the environment to make eco-friendly products the new normal. Let’s start now for a better tomorrow.

WriteToWin Summer 2026

Official publication archive for the WriteToWin National Climate Literacy Competition – Summer 2026 Season. Showcasing top shortlisted essays and real-world environmental actions by young leaders across India.