Microplastic pollution control needs to be taken seriously
Microplastic pollution control needs to be taken seriously
Microplastics are divided into primary microplastics and secondary microplastics. Primary micro plastic refers to after rivers, such as sewage treatment plant and discharged into the Marine environment of the industrial products plastic particles, such as cosmetics containing micro plastic particles or plastic particles and resin particles as industrial raw material. For each personal care item, there will be 5,000 ~ 95,000 microspheres in the environment. Secondary microplastics are plastic particles that are separated by physical, chemical and biological processes that result in fragmentation and volume reduction. According to statistics, in 2014 the number micro plastic in the ocean about 15 trillion ~ 51 trillion (particles), the weight is about 93000 tons to 236000 tons, which accounts for only 1% of the world's plastic garbage into the ocean after 2010. In June 2014, the first United Nations conference on environment, put forward the issue of Marine debris and micro plastic, and eventually reached a "ocean plastic waste and micro plastic resolution", put forward to carry out the studies of Marine plastic waste and the micro plastic, the second session of the United Nations conference on environment and submitted to the discussion. Today, this issue has received wide attention from all over the world. Microplastics have two characteristics in the Marine environment. The first is the huge amount. It is estimated that there are about 35,000 tonnes of microplastic in the ocean, accounting for 55 per cent of the total plastic waste and 72 per cent of the weight. The second is faster growth. In the past 40 years, the concentration of microplastics in the central Pacific Ocean has risen by two orders of magnitude, while the surface of the plastic waste has not changed significantly. Microplastic waste in the ocean is mainly distributed on the surface of the ocean, along the coastline and the seabed. And on the coastline and the sea floor, because the density of most plastic waste is greater than the density of seawater, the content of its microplastic waste is about 1,000 times that of the sea. In the Marine environment, the harm of microplastics comes from two aspects: one is that the microplastic can release toxic and harmful substances, and the second is that the microplastics are easier to absorb poisonous and harmful substances than ordinary plastics. Countries all over the world although response for micro plastics on the environment and the health effects of in-depth study, but because of its small size, may even into the circulatory system, so the harm to environment and health is bigger than large pieces of plastic. To this end, governments, international organizations and ngos have taken action to arouse public awareness of the dangers of microplastic waste and to prevent the creation of microplastic waste at its source. The issue of microplastics has risen to global governance. The first United Nations conference on environment, put forward after the research, published in March 2016, according to the implementation of the United Nations environment programme (unep) in addition to prepare the report of the oceans and micro plastic waste plastic, also coordinate with the relevant international organizations, such as the g7, the international maritime organization, OECD, etc., to support the various national and regional action plan, such as the black sea and Africa all Marine garbage area provides support, revision of the plan of action and the Mediterranean action plan on the execution of its Marine garbage regional action plan and follow-up to carry out the cooperation, the establishment of a Marine garbage global partnership area focal points, etc.; Public awareness and education activities have been carried out, such as the release of plastic in cosmetics: whether personal care is polluting the environment. In addition, in the 2015 world oceans day, UNEP published research report, designed to appeal to more effectively protect the Marine environment around the world, all countries should take preventive measures, in the micro plastic management gradually stopped or banned in cosmetics and personal care products used in micro plastic. Many industry departments are also aware of the problem of Marine plastic pollution. The us and UK plastics industries have implemented Operation Clean Sweep to reduce the environmental damage caused by resin particles, especially during transport and shipping. Developed countries have adopted legislation and policy measures to address microplastics. In general, the measures taken by developed countries to microplastics are limited to cosmetics. At present, the microplastics caused by industrial raw materials are still in the research phase. The national oceanic and atmospheric administration in 2006 set up the ocean garbage project, aims to study and solve the problem of Marine garbage brings, and in 2011, and the UN environment programme jointly issued the "strategy of Honolulu, plastic particles, as a kind of important Marine debris. From 2014 to 2015, New York, Illinois and California passed the bill to prohibit the distribution and sale of cosmetics containing plastic microbeads (less than 5mm). In December 2015, Obama signed the "no microbeaded water act." In 2015, the Canadian government announced a total ban on microbeads. Canada's no-pearl water bill was also on the agenda. Eu countries focus on microplastics. In 2012, the Dutch parliament passed a motion asking the Dutch government to approach the industry to discuss avoiding microplastics in cosmetics. The government has promised to support the eu's ban on adding microplastics to cosmetics. In April 2013, the German government and the European parliament organized an international conference on the prevention and management of Marine wastes in European waters. The meeting will put the issue of microplastic pollution priority. Ngos mainly focus on public education. The eradication of particulate matter has expressed public concern about the microplastic or microbeads flowing into the Marine environment. A large number of manufacturers have announced plans to reconsider and phase out the use of microplastics in their products (such as l 'oreal, unilever, etc.). The particle campaign has also developed an application that allows the public to access the content of microplastics in products. In addition, the five Marine circulation circle foundation and international particle observation project have also paid attention to the problem of microplastic waste. Some of the more academic ngos are dedicated to the distribution of microplastics. Since 1997, al galli, ocean research center has been committed to reduce Marine plastic pollution, initially focused on the north Pacific, and later spread to the north Atlantic and Indian Ocean, are now investigating the micro plastic and remobilised in five main distribution of ocean circulation. China's challenges and Suggestions at present, although the micro plastic environmental and health risks is in a stage of scientific research, but many developed countries have already enacted in view of the micro plastic ban cosmetics, and mostly in 2017 before and after implementation. Compared with that, there is not much research on microplastics in China, and the public knows very little about microplastics. The basic facts of microplastic distribution and source are unclear. The research on microplastics in China is still sporadic and has not become a hotspot. Can be further in identifying the main source of micro plastic into the ocean and categories, micro plastic pollution to the Marine environment, micro plastic pollution on the Marine ecosystem health hazard mechanism and so on to strengthen the research. Plastic waste is seriously polluted. China is a country with more plastic waste in the world. The next step can strengthen the control of plastic products and cosmetics, and reduce the potential governance risks. The use of non-biodegradable plastic products is phased out and the source of microplastics is cut off. We will improve the recycling of plastic waste and other measures to reduce the total amount of plastic waste entering the environment. At the same time, strengthen the management of cosmetics and other products containing microplastic additives. Public awareness of microplastics is insufficient. Currently, the impact of microplastics on the environment and human health has not been studied, and the public perception of microplastics is also low. The issue of microplastics can be expanded by related theme activities. To solve the problem of Marine plastic waste, especially the pollution of microplastic waste, we must start from the source, transportation, recycling and recycling of plastic waste. The absence of any link can result in great ecological, environmental, social and health impacts.
