In the field of sustainability and environmental protection, one of the prominent topics nowadays is the issue of microplastics. Millions of tons of microplastics are released into the environment each year from multiple sources, including plastic bottles, bags, clothing, and more. Disposable plastic objects and microscopic plastic particles from the decomposition of nearly 500 billion PET bottles on our planet every year can cause a lot of environmental and health problems that cannot be talked about enough and often enough.
Although the complete decomposition and destruction of plastic waste takes a long time, even hundreds of years, the harmful effect occurs sooner. PET bottles and other plastic objects disintegrate into small pieces under 5 millimeters under the influence of sunlight, heat and mechanical effects, and these microplastic particles can easily enter the environment and living beings. It is estimated that there are currently more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic particles in the oceans, and this amount is constantly increasing. Aquatic organisms, fish, and crabs often mistakenly feed on these decomposed particles entering the seas and oceans instead of plankton. And this harmful ingredient can simply spread further in the food chain, since microplastics can also enter human food by consuming seafood and food.
Plastic-free drinking water is an increasingly important asset
Microplastics can absorb and carry harmful substances such as heavy metals and toxic compounds. These harmful substances can be absorbed into the body, thereby causing various health problems, such as hormonal disturbances, carcinogenic effects, or even developmental disorders. Research has shown that due to nature and the water cycle, microplastics are also present in drinking water. This means that they can enter our bodies even when drinking water.
A New York University study examined 259 types of mineral water bottles from a wide variety of manufacturers and regions. A shocking result was obtained: an average of 325 plastic particles were found per liter. So the decomposition starts already inside the bottle, which causes damage later in the eco-cycle. In this way, however, it contaminates water that could reach the consumer even without plastic packaging. However, there is a solution for this, with a simple water purification device in our home, we can get rid of the possibility of introducing harmful substances into our bodies with drinking water.
– Indeed, the biggest problem is the excessive emission of pollutants into our environment, I am thinking here of plastic and various chemical substances. All of these reach people through the living environment. Nowadays, we talk most about the harmful effects of microplastics, which can cause several deadly problems, from strokes to heart attacks, Dr. András Bálint Fekete is a clinical geneticist. “Unfortunately, we can also talk about an accelerating trend.” Environmental pollution began with the industrial revolution, then exploded in the middle of the 20th century, and is reaching its peak today. Of course, the rapid growth of the human population contributes to this, as there is a need to serve this huge mass of people.
According to the expert, the leaders of the countries have come to a serious crossroads: they will continue to give priority to the consumer society, that is, economic interests, or they will start working on saving the environment.
– It is not known what is the maximum number of people that the Earth can support from humanity, but it is certainly possible to push this limit much better if technical development would follow the challenges of environmental pollution. Drinking water could also be cleaned of microplastics: such technology already exists, but then it would require a decisive political decision, and the money should not be spared. Of course, it cannot be emphasized enough that prevention should be the priority, but if the actors of the economy have already built their operations on the use of plastic in the past decades, we can believe that it will be very difficult for them to want to change all this. Such a transition is not only time-consuming, but also very expensive.
It doesn’t matter where you take out a personal loan, as there can be significant differences between the banks’ offers. With Bank360’s loan calculator, you can easily compare the offers of financial institutions! One million HUF for 72 months is available with an APR of up to 15.43 percent, with a good decision you can save hundreds of thousands during the entire term.
