Plastic: It’s everywhere. It’s in parks, parking lots, hiking trails, and the new, trendy decoration of trees and gardens. It’s in our lakes, rivers, and oceans; it’s an accessory to marine life; and, oh, it’s in the rain. In an article called “Scientists find plastic pollution in rain and air we breathe” for the World Economic Forum, author Sean Fleming explains that research found more than 1,000000 tons of microplastics in 11 national parks. That is over 120 million plastic bottles.

How does this work? Plastics break down into tiny fragments. The tiniest of these fragments hitch a ride in the wind and are therefore constantly in our air. Other microplastics collect in water. Microplastics can become nanoplastics as well. The nanoplastics in the ocean “can be whipped up into the air by the wind and carried vast distances… some adhere to rain clouds”

Unfortunately, the presence of microplastics poses serious problems. If microplastics are in the air, we have likely breathed them in and eaten them. (Yikes) Fleming explains that it’s unclear how harmful microplastics are to humans.

Let’s turn our focus to the ocean. Even if the production of plastic magically halted, plastics wouldn’t vanish. Laura J. Falkenberg et al., in their article, “Nature-based solutions to the management of legacy plastic pollution,” discuss that 0.6 to 2.0 metric tons of plastic would still casually swim with the fish. Many scientists scour for solutions, most of which are reliant on technology. However, technology-based solutions can potentially disrupt the ecosystem by unintentionally capturing marine life. Additionally, tech-based solutions mainly consider the cleanup of macroplastics. It’s like a never-ending cycle of dead ends. Falkenberg et al. turned to nature. Nature-based solutions alter the perspective from “Fixing it by technology dominating nature,” which caused environmental catastrophes in the first place, to “Let’s work together with nature.” Furthermore, nature-based solutions increase biodiversity and would help alleviate additional concerns with the environment, such as flash floods.

The nature-based solution delves into bivalves, animals like oysters, scallops, and mussels. Bivalves are essential to the ecosystem because they are natural filters that enhance water quality. Falkenberg et al. stated that bivalves can digest microplastics without being harmed. The only potential problem they discovered is that ingesting microplastics over time may affect how effectively they filter the water.

Regardless, the ability to digest microplastics provides a way to remove them from water. Here is the process: When the bivalves digest microplastics, they temporarily remove them from the water. Eventually, bivalves, through their digestion process, see “Ewwww” and reject the microplastics by pooping them out. Collecting the poop could permanently eliminate microplastics if the bivalves can consume and filter a significant amount.

To receive information on the efficacy of consuming microplastics, Falkenberg et al. tested three levels of exposure to plastic on two different species, Xenostrobus securis (axe-headed mussel) and Brachidontes variabilis (Variable mussel). The levels were: “None,” which functioned as the control group, “Low amounts,” and “High Amounts.” Both species succeeded in making microplastics go poof from the water and come back out in an easier-to-collect poop. As they increased the exposure to microplastics, the microplastics in the feces (and the width of the feces) also increased. However, the axe-headed mussel had higher amounts of microplastics in its poop. Falkenberg et al. found a range of 170–350 microplastics in individual specimens of the axe-headed mussel, while the variable mussel only had a range of about 50–150 microplastics. Below is the box plot graph explaining the results. (The line in the middle of each box is the median.)

Despite this beneficial finding, another complication is that environmental situations vary, such as the area where Falkenberg et al. conducted their study. The most effective species is ideal, but scientists should first analyze how damaging the invasive species are to the ecosystem. To escape these webs of traps, more research is required.

The results of this research paint a picture of promise. The plastic problem will keep getting worse, especially microplastics. Addressing the production of plastic would be fighting the root. However, a serious symptom of plastic pollution, like microplastics in our bodies of water and rain, is an imperative problem to address. With more funding and research, more scientists can work out the tiny details and start experimenting with the best ways to collect poop, so this plan can transform into action, and the plastic problem becomes more manageable.

Works Cited

Fleming, Sean. “Scientists find plastic pollution in the rain and in the air we breathe.” World Economic Forum. July 30, 2020, https://www.weforum.org/stories/food-water-and-clean-air/scientists-find-plastic-pollution-in-the-rain-and-in-the-air-we-breathe

Laura J. Falkenberg et al. “Nature-based solutions to the management of legacy plastic pollution: Filter-feeders as bioremediation tools for coastal microplastics,” ScienceDirect. Vol. 956,2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177237.

=

Microplastics and Poop was originally published in The Environment on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I am an 18-year-old FSc Pre-Medical student from Islamabad. Every winter, I see the same thing. The sky becomes grey, eyes start burning, and everyone starts coughing.

We call it smog. But for a long time I thought it was just fog, just weather. Now as a pre-med student, I am understanding it is much more than that. Smog is not just weather. It is pollution that we are breathing every day.

From Pollution to Smog

It starts with environmental pollution. Cars, factories, and burning of crops release smoke and small particles in the air. In Lahore and Islamabad, the number of cars is increasing every year. These particles mix with fog and become smog.

Smog is not just smoke. It contains PM2.5 and hazardous particulates. These are very small particles that we cannot see, but we breathe them every day.

PM2.5 is so small that it can go deep inside our lungs. According to the World Health Organization, clean air should have very low PM2.5. But in Lahore, during winter, the Air Quality Index often goes above 300, which is in the hazardous category. In Islamabad, it also goes above 150 on many winter days. This means the air we are breathing is not safe.

How it Affects Our Lungs?

According to Dr. Tayyaba Khan, a pulmonologist in Lahore, she is seeing more young patients with cough, asthma, and breathing problems during smog season than ever before.

When we breathe in smog, these particles go directly to our lungs. At first it is just cough or throat irritation. But long-term exposure is dangerous.

Doctors are now seeing more cases of asthma, bronchitis, and breathing problems, even in young students like us. I have seen many friends in college who use inhalers during smog season. A few years ago, this was not so common.

Reduced lung function is happening at a young age, which is scary. When our lungs are still growing, and we breathe dirty air every day, they cannot grow properly.

Long-term exposure can weaken our respiratory health, and we need to take it seriously. It does not just cause cough. It can cause long-term asthma, lung infections, and make it hard to breathe during exercise or even while walking.

I am not a doctor, I am just a student who is learning and observing. I started writing on Medium to understand these things in simple words, without difficult medical terms. But what I see around me is enough to understand that this is a health emergency, not just a winter problem.

What Can We Do?

We cannot stop smog in one day, but we can protect ourselves and we can reduce it.

• Protect Yourself: Wear a mask when AQI is high. A simple cloth mask is not enough. Use an N95 mask when the air is very bad. Check the air quality on your phone before going out. If AQI is above 200, try to stay indoors. Keep your windows closed in the morning when smog is thickest.
• At Home and School: Use an air purifier if you can. If not, keep plants at home. Drink more water. If you have asthma, keep your inhaler with you always. Tell your teacher if you feel breathless. Schools should avoid outdoor sports on high-smog days.
• For Our City: We need fewer cars on the road. We need more trees. Factories should follow rules. We should not burn trash or crops. The government needs to take strict action on factories and vehicles that make too much smoke.

Smog will not go away by itself. We have to speak about it. We have to write about it. We have to make people understand that this is not just fog.

Smog is not just in the sky, it is in our lungs. It is making our friends sick, our families sick, and our future weak.

I am 18 years old. I want to become a doctor. But before that, I want to breathe clean air. I want my friends to breathe clean air.

PREVENTION STARTS WITH AWARENESS.
STAY INFORMED, STAY HEALTHY!

Pakistan’s Smog Crisis: The Hidden Health Cost of Air Pollution was originally published in The Environment on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.