какие токсины наиболее опасны для человека
Токсины всюду: в еде, воздухе и косметике. Стоит ли паниковать ...
Или тот же ботокс, который активно используется в косметологии, — это ведь не что иное, как токсин ботулизма, один из самых сильных и опасных для человека ...
как мы знаем,
Тем не менее четкого консенсуса касательно того, стоит ли волноваться из-за того количества бисфенола, которое в среднем получает современный человек, пока нет. Как нет его и относительно фталатов — еще одного условно токсичного вещества, получаемого из пластика и микропластика, который, <anchor>как мы знаем,</anchor> повсюду, включая воду и воздух. Несмотря на то что в целом те дозы, которым подвержены «обычные люди», считаются безопасными, специалисты признают — фталаты тоже способны отрицательно сказаться на гормональной системе, особенно на мужской. С 2005 года в Европейском Союзе намеренное их использование в потребительских товарах запрещено, что тоже заставляет задуматься.
Microplastics | Definition, Properties, & Plastic Pollution | Britannica
Microplastics \| Definition, Properties, & Plastic Pollution \| Britannica

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[microplastics](https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic)

Table of Contents


- [Introduction](/technology/microplastic)

- [Properties](/technology/microplastic#ref341994)

- [Primary and secondary microplastics](/technology/microplastic#ref341995)

- [Environmental and health impacts](/technology/microplastic#ref341996)

- [Reducing microplastics pollution](/technology/microplastic#ref341997)


[References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic/additional-info) [Quick Facts & Related Topics](/facts/microplastic)

[Videos](https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic/images-videos)

[![The video thumbnail image shows a person's hand holding small fragments of colorful plastic.](https://cdn.britannica.com/91/257591-138-6D21B3E5/microplastics-pollution-explained.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](/video/257591/microplastics-pollution-explained)[![Video thumbnail image shows a large amount of plastic trash collected from the ocean.](https://cdn.britannica.com/77/258777-138-A37B66AE/ocean-cleanup-plastic-pollution-interview.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](/video/258777/ocean-cleanup-plastic-pollution-interview)

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[Science](/browse/Science)[Environment](/browse/Environment)

# microplastics

plastic particulate



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Also known as: microplastic


Written by


[Kara Rogers\
\
Kara Rogers is the senior editor of biomedical sciences at Encyclopædia Britannica, where she oversees a range of content from medicine and genetics to microorganisms. She joined Britannica in 2006 and...](/editor/Kara-Rogers/6713)

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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.](/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)

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Last Updated:

Sep 4, 2024
• [Article History](https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic/additional-info#history)


Table of Contents


Related Topics: [plastic](/science/plastic)[plastic pollution](/science/plastic-pollution)[microbead](/technology/microbead)_(Show more)_

[See all related content →](/facts/microplastic)

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## Recent News

Aug. 27, 2024, 3:36 AM ET (The Hindu)


[New research finds abundant microplastics in personal care products available in India](https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/microplastics-found-in-face-wash-shower-gel-face-scrub-available-in-india-says-new-research/article68572231.ece)

[![The video thumbnail image shows a person's hand holding small fragments of colorful plastic.](https://cdn.britannica.com/91/257591-138-6D21B3E5/microplastics-pollution-explained.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](/video/257591/microplastics-pollution-explained)

What are microplastics?What lies beneath? Plastic, probably.(more)

[See all videos for this article](/technology/microplastic/images-videos)

**microplastics**, small pieces of [plastic](https://www.britannica.com/science/plastic), less than 5 mm (0.2 inch) in length, that occur in the [environment](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/environment) as a consequence of [plastic pollution](https://www.britannica.com/science/plastic-pollution). Microplastics are present in a variety of products, from [cosmetics](https://www.britannica.com/art/cosmetic) to [synthetic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synthetic) [clothing](https://www.britannica.com/topic/dress-clothing) to plastic bags and bottles. Many of these products readily enter the environment in wastes.

## Properties

Microplastics consist of [carbon](https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-chemical-element) and [hydrogen](https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrogen) atoms bound together in [polymer](https://www.britannica.com/science/polymer) chains. Other chemicals, such as phthalates, [polybrominated diphenyl ethers](https://www.britannica.com/science/polybrominated-diphenyl-ether) (PBDEs), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), are typically also present in microplastics, and many of these chemical additives leach out of the plastics after entering the environment.

## Primary and secondary microplastics

Microplastics are divided into two types: primary and secondary. Examples of primary microplastics include [microbeads](https://www.britannica.com/technology/microbead) found in personal care products, plastic pellets (or nurdles) used in industrial manufacturing, and plastic fibres used in synthetic textiles (e.g., [nylon](https://www.britannica.com/science/nylon)). Primary microplastics enter the environment directly through any of various channels—for example, product use (e.g., personal care products being washed into wastewater systems from households), unintentional loss from spills during manufacturing or transport, or abrasion during washing (e.g., laundering of clothing made with synthetic textiles). Secondary microplastics form from the breakdown of larger plastics; this typically happens when larger plastics undergo weathering, through exposure to, for example, wave action, wind abrasion, and [ultraviolet radiation](https://www.britannica.com/science/ultraviolet-radiation) from sunlight.

## Environmental and health impacts

Microplastics are not biodegradable. Thus, once in the environment, primary and secondary microplastics accumulate and persist. Microplastics have been found in a variety of [environments](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/environments), including [oceans](https://www.britannica.com/science/ocean) and freshwater ecosystems. In oceans alone, annual plastic pollution, from all types of plastics, was estimated at 4 million to 14 million tons in the early 21st century. Microplastics also are a source of [air pollution](https://www.britannica.com/science/air-pollution), occurring in dust and airborne fibrous particles. The health effects of microplastics inhalation are unknown.

[![Video thumbnail image shows a large amount of plastic trash collected from the ocean.](https://cdn.britannica.com/77/258777-138-A37B66AE/ocean-cleanup-plastic-pollution-interview.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](/video/258777/ocean-cleanup-plastic-pollution-interview)

How to clean up Earth's oceansThe Ocean Cleanup wants to rid the world's oceans of plastic.(more)

[See all videos for this article](/technology/microplastic/images-videos)

By 2018, in marine and freshwater ecosystems combined, microplastics had been found in more than 114 aquatic species. Microplastics have been found lodged in the digestive tracts and tissues of various [invertebrate](https://www.britannica.com/animal/invertebrate) sea animals, including [crustaceans](https://www.britannica.com/animal/crustacean) such as [crabs](https://www.britannica.com/animal/crab). [Fish](https://www.britannica.com/animal/fish) and [birds](https://www.britannica.com/animal/bird-animal) are likely to ingest microplastics floating on the water surface, mistaking the plastic bits for food. The ingestion of microplastics can cause aquatic species to consume less food and therefore to have less energy to carry out life functions, and it can result in neurological and reproductive toxicity. Microplastics are suspected of working their way up the marine [food chains](https://www.britannica.com/science/food-chain), from [zooplankton](https://www.britannica.com/science/zooplankton) and small fish to large marine predators.

Microplastics have been detected in drinking water, [beer](https://www.britannica.com/topic/beer), and food products, including seafood and [table salt](https://www.britannica.com/science/salt). In a pilot study involving eight individuals from eight different countries, microplastics were recovered from stool samples of every participant. Scientists have also detected microplastics in human tissues and organs. The [implications](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implications) of these findings for human health were uncertain.

## Reducing microplastics pollution

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Between 1950 and 2015, some 6,300 million metric tons of plastic waste were generated. The majority of this waste, about 4,900 million metric tons, ended up in landfills and the environment. On the basis of trends from that period, researchers estimated that by 2050 the amount of plastic waste in landfills and the environment would reach 12,000 million metric tons. Nonetheless, the potential dangers of escalating plastics [pollution](https://www.britannica.com/science/pollution-environment), especially pollution from microplastics, remained largely ignored by governments and policy makers.

To help overcome this obstacle, organizations such as the United Nations Expert Panel of the [United Nations Environmental Programme](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Environment-Programme) engaged more than 100 countries in educational campaigns aimed at raising awareness of plastics pollution and encouraging reuse and recycling of plastics. Other international cooperative programs were established to address marine wastes, including microplastics pollution. In 2015 the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States) passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act, which prohibits the manufacture and distribution of rinse-off [cosmetics](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cosmetics) products that contain plastic microbeads. Many other countries also placed bans on microbeads.

Remediation of microplastics already in the environment is another key component of reducing microplastics pollution. Strategies under investigation included the use of microorganisms capable of breaking down synthetic microplastic polymers. A number of bacterial and fungal species possess biodegradation capabilities, breaking down chemicals such as [polystyrene](https://www.britannica.com/science/polystyrene), [polyester](https://www.britannica.com/science/polyester) [polyurethane](https://www.britannica.com/science/polyurethane), and [polyethylene](https://www.britannica.com/science/polyethylene). Such microorganisms potentially can be applied to sewage wastewater and other contaminated environments.

[Kara Rogers](/editor/Kara-Rogers/6713)