Inquiry
Our investigation
Plastic
From the first moment plastic has done notable damage to the environment. Slowly it has evolved in different forms which have caused contamination in many ways.
For example in the seas plastics caused serious damage to many marine species. And we can find many things made of plastic like bottles and glasses in the beach, in the sea, on a rock, or even animals that sadly got hooked on them ... The situation is getting worse as time progresses. The problem was and will be if we do not take action. It has been detected in past years such as 2015 that the manufacture of this product has reached around 380 million tons around the world, microplastics are the most damaging to the environment.
Chemical contamination of plastic, a silent threat
Every year of 300 million tons, it is estimated that at least 8 tons go directly to the seas, lakes, oceans ... the flooding of this material in our hairy seas is a quite big problem, ”according to the report of the Program of the United Nations for the Environment (UNEP) published this 2019. If measures are not taken, there is a high risk of deterioration of marine ecosystems and, consequently, of marine biodiversity. " The great blow that this substance has given in our ecosystem is very noticeable both in fauna and flora, it is very recurrent to find animals such as dead or seriously injured turtles by confusing things like plastic bags ... with natural food, and Among other things, such as lack of blood risk. It is estimated that more than 60% of the great Majorca of seabirds have plastic remains in their body, plastic has been found in the stomach of more than 700 species.
5 ways plastic pollution affects animals on earth
Unlike any other material such as aluminum, among others, the plastic does not really decompose, it only transforms into what we already know as microplastics or also in some cases it only breaks into smaller pieces which remain in the sea forever and the maar turns into a kind of plastic soup, this same one has had notable damages in the marine fauna but it is necessary to bear in mind that although the great majority of plastic reaches the marine life another part is still on land, thus affecting the terrestrial fauna, the plastics that finally never reach the seas affect both wild and domestic animals, in reality the way in which this material reaches the stomachs of terrestrial animals is very similar to what would happen with the aquatics food confusion and accidental consumption among others.
Plastic and Human Health: A Life Cycle Approach to Plastic Pollution
Despite being one of the most present materials around the world, but nevertheless the impact that its contamination has on human health is still little known, unfortunately it exposure is increasing in a way that is It is expanding into new areas of the environment, and the food chain, as plastic products are made fragment into smaller particles and concentrate toxic chemicals.mm
Microplastics could pose a threat to plants
Rillig and his colleagues have discovered a chain of threats that plastic represents for the world's flora, at the moment these risks are not 100% confirmed due to the fact that it is easier to detect plastic in the aquatic world, experts affirm that the particles of the Plastic can seem insignificant when the soil is so rich in particulate matter, yet there are many studies showing microplastics in many terrestrial ecosystems.
(Maria Andrea)
Plastic litter pollution along sandy beaches in the Caribbean and Pacific coast of Colombia
Plastic pollution is all over the world and it's a dangerous to coastal and marine environments.In Colombia the knowledge about marine plastic pollution is still a bit low and knowing about this topic is very important.Therefore people tasted 43 Colombian beaches on the caribbean and pacific coasts.”Amounts of macroplastic ranged from 35 ± 15 to 81 ± 23 items 100 m−1, being product’s packaging the most common. Microplastic densities ranged from 3 to 1387 items m−2” that means that the amount of microplastics in the beaches of the caribbean and pasifc coast are increasing.The highest amounts of microplastics where found in the rural areas of the pacific municipalities.Plastic litter on Colombia is something that requires prevention and responsibility.
(Miranda)
How much plastic is in the ocean?
We all know about the giant plastic islands and that they are getting bigger every day, even in the Pacific ocean is called “the eighth continent”.In 2015 a study said that approximately 8 million tons of plastic enters the ocean and that in 2050 there will be more plastic than fishes in the ocean, But how many plastic is in the ocean? In 2014 the magazine Plos One said that approximately there is 5 billion of plastic waste in the ocean.Although there are many initiatives to prevent plastic to enter to our ocean a Greenpeace report said that 80% of the plastic in the ocean comes from the land and 20% from maritime activity.Also a NGO report said the 9% of the plastic we use is recycled, the 12% is incinerated and the 79% ends up in landfills and the environment so basically what we need to do is stop the entrance of plastic to the ocean.
(Miranda)
Air is the main route of ingestion of microplastics
Microplastic are everywhere we go.Even tho there are many studies and articles about microplastic especially of microplastics in the ocean, the Dr. Elvis Genbo Xu decided to focus in the study of microplastics in the water we drink, the air and the salt on our table.”When we breathe in microplastics, these tiny particles can reach the lungs and digestive system. Nobody knows what this means for the human organism and our health, but since we are talking about a lifetime exposure, it is cause for concern "said Dr.Xu.There are not official guidelines that say how much plastic is bad for us, but animal studies show that a certain amount of microplastics can be bad for the intestine and metabolism.Over 100 different salt products have been tested for microparticles and they found out that the microplastics get to the salt when is in packaging process and production.The greatest amount of microplastics found in the water from recycled plastic bottles are because of the production chain or the the screw cap.Even tho microplastics where found too in glass bottles, the researchers said that a probably source of microplastics is in the plastic cup.Microplastics where found too in tap water they said that the microplastics gets to that water by the processing plants,rivers, lakes and groundwater.Microplastics in the air are normally found because of the rubber of the tries, construction areas, the dust of the road and other sources.Finally, microplastics are normally found in humid places than in dry zones.
(Miranda)
Advantages and disadvantages of incineration
Advantages:Incineration could reduce waste volume by 90% on landfills.Odours and rodents are avoided with incineration.Almost all of the waste that is burned can produce energy where households and businesses can benefit of the electricity.Ash produce could be useful for constructions and roads.
Disadvantages:There are many pollutants in the ash and that pollutants can be emitted from the chimney.The majority of waste incinerated is burned without classifying and the people in charged to incinerate can incinerate recycling materials.The incinerators are very expensive to build and maintain.
(Miranda)
Get to know this artists that use recycled plastic to make their art
Many artist are using nowadays plastic to make their artwork to make consciousness about pollution.The visual ways they use to make people conscious is more effective that 50 facts.
Caroline South:She is a fotografer that spend most of her time collecting waste of the beach to make her colorful art piece.
Mandy Barker: She collects plastic pieces all over the world and use them to make an art piece.She later put scientific facts for making her work more educational
Judith and Richard Lang:they are a couple that collects all plastic in the beach of Kehoe, California.It's not a big beach but for them is perfect to use the thing they found on that beach to make their work.They reuse the thing they collect for making new pieces to attract people.
(Miranda)
Seven Campaigns in Colombia to reduce plastic use
Lots of people in Colombia have been promoting environmental campaigns in order to help the world, by minimizing the use of plastic and making people conscious that we are damaging the world by using so much plastic when there is not a need of these materials.
I am going to give you some examples.
Colombia #Mejor sin plástico
Mas fibra menos plastico
¿Pitillo para qué?
#Es tiempo de actuar
The ocean clean up
And more
People are starting to be conscious of the damage plastic is doing to the world and to ourselves. So let's help by recycling and try not to buy so much plastic. Save
(Maria Alejandra)
How many types of plastic are ?
There are more than one type of plastic some of them are recyclable and others not. This are examples of types of plastics
PET: Oil bottle, water bottle, and Coca-Cola bottle
HDPE: Milk bottle, cleaning packages, personal cleaning containers, and more...
PVC: Electric cables covers, toys, tubes, and plumbing.
LDPE: Plastic bags and plastic paper
PP: Bottle caps, packages for food and straws
PS: Plastic cups, yogurt packages and fast food packages
OTROS: Baby bottles , CD and DVD, car parts
(Maria Alejandra)
How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic
Micro Plastic this tipe of plastic is cold that wey wen a pieces of plastic is less than 5 millimeters, some are used on cosmetics, and more but the majority of cosmetics plastics packages that end up flouting in the ocean transforms into smaller pieces, because of the ultraviolet light that hits the ocean and there are becomes into 52 million if those particulars that animals would see like food and would eat them easily and that would affect their health because of the chemicals that are used to make plastic like bisfenol A that can that makes bottles be transparents and it has been proved that it can interfere with the hormone system like DEHP that makes bottles more flexible and it can produce cancer.
It has been found micro plastic in honey, ocean salt, beer and in the water from the tap.I
n about 8 of 10 babies and in almost all the adults and kids, it has been found Efstatus is an addictive substance from the plastic.;
(María Alejandra)
How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic
Plastic is fabricated with polymers chains they are found in hair, pared celular, and more but we can make polymers to.
We only need to decompose the petroleum and reorganize its components for new polimeros sinteticos. It characteristics are that they are moldable, resistant and you can give it almost any form.
Nowadays almost everything is made out of plastic, the bad thing is that polymers are so strong that they need 500 to 1.000 years to decompose.
It does not take much time the manual work tas the production of plastic is fast and easy.
In 2016, 335 tons of plastic was created just that year alone and the 40% of the plastic we use is for packaging things in the U.S.A. ⅓ of the plastic created every year were for packing things like food and drinks.
More than 6.300 million tons of plastic were converted into trash since 1907 and if we gather all that up to today's day, it will make a cube of 6,9km3 each side.
The 9% has been recycled the 12% has been burned and the 79% that's left has been disposed and still some of that 79% ends up in the ocean almost 8 million of tons yearly.
(María Alejandra)
Surveys
We did a survey in 3rd grade and we found out that the students are aware of this issue, however, they do not realize how dangerous it is to keep on consuming plastic at this rate.